No one takes responsibility for attack flier on Malone

Adrienne Packer

Thursday, March 16, 2000 | 10:28 a.m.

Spring Valley residents adamantly deny having anything to do with the latest attack on Clark County Commissioner Lance Malone, and his supporters are hardly surprised.

Malone, with his attorney and political advisers, believe they know who mailed the political flier that shows a caricature of Malone with money stuffed in his pockets.

The mailer -- which insinuates Malone favors major campaign contributors and informs District C voters that he cannot be trusted -- violates Nevada campaign laws because it does not say who paid for it.

The attack stems from a January vote in which Malone assured Spring Valley residents and Station Casinos he would vote against a proposed casino in the southwest section of Las Vegas, and then changed his mind and supported it.

Malone and his attorney, Don Campbell, filed a lawsuit Friday against a mass-mailing company and unknown parties.

Members of the Citizens of Spring Valley and Surrounding Areas said today that if they had sent the flier, they would have been proud to say so.

"We only have so much money," Spring Valley resident Cyndy Jezzard-Gonzalez said. "If we had the money, we would give Malone more bad press, and we would take credit for it because we're still mad.

"We're pleased whoever did it took the liberty of investing their own time and money to show Malone is an imbecile. He is untrustworthy."

While neither the commissioner nor Campbell will say who they believe the "unknown party" is, they each have hinted that if it happens to be a casino company, that firm could lose its gaming license.

Station Casinos officials waged war against Malone immediately following the vote. Executives with the gaming company, which contributed $40,000 to Malone's campaign, said they would be willing to support another candidate in Malone's bid for re-election.

"I didn't just fall off a turnip truck," Campbell said. "I'm not saying who we believe is responsible for this, but we put an enormous amount of time into developing information that will assist us in this case."

Station Casinos executive Mark Brown did not return a phone message Wednesday.

Two former FBI agents investigating the case should have it wrapped up soon, said Campbell, who last week said the case would be simple to solve.

"I have full faith and confidence that by the time the matter is concluded, the public will have the information, and we will have the information that is mandated to be produced by law," Campbell said. "That will be sooner rather than later."

Campbell reiterated that Malone simply wants to meet his opponents.

"Mr. Malone puts it on the line every day; he takes potshots and everybody knows his position," he said. "All he wants to do is face his accusers."

The Spring Valley group paid for full-page ads in daily newspapers blasting the commissioner last month. Jezzard-Gonzalez said the second round of advertisements had to be published in smaller, weekly newspapers because the organization was running low on money.