Kenny speaks out against claims

Adrienne Packer

Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2000 | 11:14 a.m.

Clark County Commissioner Erin Kenny said Tuesday she is "astounded" at claims she tried to orchestrate a Watergate-like scheme last summer to torpedo colleague Mary Kincaid's bid to keep her District B seat.

For the first time since receiving a copy of a complaint filed with the Nevada Ethics Commission, Kenny spoke Tuesday about claims lodged by former county employee Gene Smith.

"I am astounded at the allegations made by Mr. Smith," said Kenny, who would only conduct one-on-one private interviews with reporters.

Smith said that during an August meeting at Kenny's home, she tried to convince him, county employee Brad Banaszak and Service Employees International Union representative Maryanne Dawicki to break into county offices to find damaging documents on Kincaid.

Kenny was intent on unseating Kincaid so that her close friend North Las Vegas City Councilwoman Stephanie Smith could take Kincaid's place on the board, Gene Smith said.

Gene Smith said the commissioner told the three the best time to gain access to county offices, computers and file cabinets is at night. Kenny was after records that showed Kincaid used county staff and equipment to move her flower shop, Gene Smith said.

"We all felt she was crazy to even think we would commit a crime for her or anyone," Gene Smith wrote in an affidavit notarized Nov. 13. "And we were amazed that she seemed to do whatever she had to do to get her friend Stephanie Smith elected to the county commission."

Banaszak has confirmed Gene Smith's account; Dawicki has not returned pages or phone calls to her union office.

Gene Smith and Kenny agree that he and Banaszak were invited to her home to discuss problems with management in the county facilities division. But they have different accounts about what happened during the meeting.

Kenny, who declined Monday to even discuss the meeting, said Tuesday that Gene Smith and Banaszak were frustrated by overtime abuse and that facilities employees were being asked to campaign for elected officials on county time.

During the conversation Kincaid's flower shop move came up.

Kenny said she never encouraged anybody to break into the county building, but suggested they obtain documentation that backed their claims of abuse in the facilities division so they could bring it to the attention of county officials.

Kenny also said she would make sure facilities employees who came forward with concerns about the department would be protected from any retaliation launched by facilities manager Bill Barrett.

"Their belief was that the administration knew what was going on but was not taking any aggressive action," Kenny said. "They were frustrated and fearful."

When asked why Gene Smith and Banaszak would fabricate a story about breaking into computers and file cabinets to dig up dirt on Kincaid, Kenny said she had no idea.

"Two people I had never met walked into my home, and all I tried to do was help them," Kenny said.

After Gene Smith's complaint became public Monday, county officials responded by calling him a disgruntled employee who fabricated the complaint. Gene Smith was fired in January 1998 after the county claimed it owned a washer and dryer that he said he purchased.

Gene Smith's accusations are backed by Banaszak, and the former employee said to prove he is telling the truth about the August meeting and would be willing to take a polygraph test. He also challenged Kenny to take a test.

But Kenny said Tuesday she will let the Ethics Commission decide whether to pursue an investigation.

"I'm looking forward to going through the process set out by state statute," she said.