Rhodes’ opponent hammers at indictment as election nears

Diana Sahagun

Monday, May 14, 2001 | 10:15 a.m.

When North Las Vegas City Council candidate Robert Eliason began his campaign earlier this year, he pledged to stay out of his main opponent's legal troubles involving allegations of insurance fraud.

But with less than a month before the general election, Eliason is emphasizing truth and honesty.

In a recent mailer sent out to residents, he claims his opponent for the Ward 1 seat, Councilman John Rhodes, lacks those characteristics.

"If John Rhodes gets elected ... how will we explain it to our children?" the front of the mailer reads.

The mailer uses headlines from the Sun, which reported Rhodes' legal troubles stemming from an indictment last year on insurance fraud. The indictment came after a state attorney general's office investigation into an alleged burglary in 1998 at Rhodes' East Diana Drive home.

Rhodes was indicted by the attorney general's insurance fraud unit a second time in August, stemming from a 1997 alleged burglary of his home.

No trial date has been set on the three felony charges of insurance fraud.

Eliason said he decided to send out the mailer relating to Rhodes' indictments after the two-term councilman called him a "puppet" on television.

"As we were walking door-to-door people didn't know about the other troubles that he's having, and we're just bringing out the facts," Eliason said. "We've heard more than once from residents -- 'He's indicted? And he's still running?' "

Rhodes said he will not respond to the flier and that he and his camp are continuing to run a positive and aggressive campaign by talking to residents about future improvements to the city, including parks, police, and fire protection.

Rhodes said he has invited Eliason numerous times to debate the issues, but he has declined.

Eliason said he won't debate Rhodes.

"I don't want to be seen in the public with someone who's been indicted," Eliason said. "I'm not going to sit face to face with someone who has been indicted and wants to talk issues."

Eliason said he doesn't consider the mailer a personal attack, just facts. And he said he is not a puppet.

"I guarantee the residents of this community I will listen to anybody," Eliason said. "I will render my vote according to how I feel and it's going to be my conscience. I have to look at myself in the mirror every morning."

Both candidates must walk the entire city with their message because although the race is for the Ward 1 seat, residents will elect a councilman at-large.

With early voting beginning May 19, both candidates said they are knocking on doors around the entire city discussing issues such as the proposed master-planned community on 7,500 acres the Bureau of Land Management is auctioning off in the northwest. The first 2,000 acres was auctioned off last week to Del Webb Corp. and American Nevada Corp. for $47.2 million.

"We've been talking about the future direction of North Las Vegas," Rhodes said. "We've brought the city from 50,000 people to a growing and vibrant place where people want to live and have a quality of life where they can raise their families."