Del Papa files suit over flier

Thursday, Sept. 28, 2000 | 11:31 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- A civil suit has been filed by Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa seeking $5,000 in fines against Station Casinos, one of its vice presidents and a political consultant and his firm for violating Nevada law in the financing and distribution of anonymous campaign material.

The suit filed in Carson City on Wednesday and assigned to District Judge Mike Griffin names Station Casinos, Mark Brown, Tom Skancke and the Skancke Co. as defendants.

Senior Deputy Attorney General Kateri Cavin said today that they have already admitted in press releases and in newspaper articles that they were involved in preparing and distributing the political fliers that sought to discredit Clark County Commission Lance Malone.

Brown directed the campaign against Malone after he changed his mind and voted to allow a casino development in Spring Valley. Station Casinos opposed the project.

The only issue may be whether the law is constitutional. The American Civil Liberties Union has filed suit in federal court and the others have brought suit in Clark County challenging the law as an infringement of Free Speech.

Station Casinos has already agreed to pay a $498,000 penalty ordered by the state Gaming Commission for failing to supervise Brown, who is a vice president for government relations in the company.