Williams cleared of ethics charges

Adrienne Packer

Thursday, Aug. 22, 2002 | 9:32 a.m.

An ethics complaint filed last month against Clark County Commissioner Myrna Williams was dropped Wednesday by a Nevada Ethics Commission review panel.

Stacy Jennings, executive director of the Ethics Commission, issued a statement saying the review panel found no just and sufficient cause to hold a hearing or render an opinion regarding Williams.

The complaint was filed by Jack Lipsman, campaign manager for Tony Badillo, who is challenging Williams in her re-election bid for the Clark County Commission District E seat. Lipsman did not immediately return a phone message this morning.

Lipsman cited an ethics law that prohibits incumbents from using their positions to secure privileges.

Specifically, he said Williams, president of the Las Vegas Valley Water District, gained an unfair advantage over Badillo when her picture and accompanying letter appeared in a Water District brochure.

About 470,000 brochures entitled "The Facts about your Drinking Water" were distributed by the district.

"It's ridiculous," Williams said of the claim the brochure gave her a boost in the campaign. "If that were true, what would happen every time Kenny Guinn sent out a required report? The governor wouldn't be able to put out his message because he is running for re-election."

Lipsman also complained that the 38,000 brochures published in Spanish were Williams' way of targeting Hispanic voters.

At the time the ethics complaint was filed, Water District spokesman Vince Alberta said the utility's management team decided three years ago to begin printing brochures in Spanish.