Ethics complaint filed against Boggs McDonald

Diana Sahagun

Thursday, March 8, 2001 | 11:06 a.m.

Las Vegas City Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald is facing an ethics complaint for a trip she took last year that was paid for by Station Casinos.

Resident Tim Lafferty, who works in the hotel industry, filed an ethics complaint against the councilwoman Wednesday morning. He alleges she violated the city's ethics laws when she failed to disclose her relationship with Station Casinos executives and classified the trip as a "political contribution."

The complaint comes a month before the city's primary election.

Lafferty, who has lived in the city since 1972, is an acquaintance of Mark Solomon, who is running against Boggs-McDonald and a former director of the Southern Nevada Culinary Training Center. Lafferty said no one persuaded him to file the complaint.

Boggs McDonald, appointed to the City Council in July 1999 and running for re-election, reported campaign contributions last year of more than $10,000.

One of her contributors in 1999 was Station, for $2,256.22.

Though the report listed only the names of contributions and totals, according to the complaint the contribution paid for the councilwoman and her husband to fly, accompanied by two Station executives and their spouses, to South Bend, Ind. for a Notre Dame football game.

Boggs McDonald classified it as a political contribution, not a gift.

The councilwoman maintains she disclosed everything, and the trip offered her the chance to visit her alma matter with a friend, Mary Alice Nielson, whose husband, Scott, is executive vice president and general counsel of Station.

According to the city's ethics code, had the councilwoman classified the contribution as a "gift" she could not have accepted more than $250.

According to the complaint, Boggs McDonald did not disclose her friendship with the Nielsons when she voted in favor of two projects last year.

According to the complaint, Station appeared before the council in August, when it approved plans for Ernie's Casino, a tavern at 1901 N. Rancho Drive. The motion to approve the project was approved unanimously with no discussion.

In September the council approved Station's buyout of the Sante Fe Hotel & Casino after representatives of the Culinary Union complained they would have to reapply for their jobs.

Lafferty said he filed the complaint because he believes city officials should be held to a high standard, and Boggs McDonald should have classified her trip as a gift.

The Nevada Ethics Commission has set a precedent on a similar matter relating to City Councilman Michael McDonald. The commission cleared McDonald last year of any wrongdoing regarding a 1999 vote granting Republic Services of Southern Nevada an extension to its exclusive trash-hauling contract, worth an estimated $1.5 billion.