Resort says government violating civil rights

Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2000 | 10:57 a.m.

The Venetian hotel-casino filed suit in U.S. District Court alleging the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority violated its civil rights.

Citing a Dec. 14 LVCVA board action authorizing a lawsuit against the Venetian, the suit says the government agency violated the resort's First Amendment free-speech rights and 14th Amendment right to due process. The suit calls the LVCVA action retaliatory and says the Dec. 14 resolution "is designed to create a chilling effect and prior restraint" upon the Venetian.

The Venetian has been critical of the LVCVA's plan to build a $150 million expansion. The resort's lawsuit challenging the LVCVA's financing of the expansion is under appeal after a District Court judge ruled against the Venetian.

Friday, the Venetian filed another Clark County District Court suit. The new suit challenges the LVCVA's Nov. 9 plan for a negotiated sale of revenue bonds to build the expansion.

The Venetian's federal court suit, also filed Friday, seeks an order preventing the LVCVA from suing the Venetian or taking any retaliatory action relating to the District Court suit or the proposed expansion.

The LVCVA has yet to sue the Venetian, but the Dec. 14 resolution gave the agency's legal staff authority to attempt to recover an estimated $10 million in additional costs that have been incurred in delays to build the expansion.