Herrera calls compaint frivolous

Tuesday, March 12, 2002 | 9:26 a.m.

SUN CAPITAL BUREAU

CARSON CITY -- Clark County Commissioner Dario Herrera says the recent complaint filed with the state Ethics Commission is just another example of frivolous allegations being made against him during this political campaign.

The Ethics Commission has dismissed a complaint filed by former Clark County employee Gene Smith, who said Herrera improperly used his position as commission chairman to win a portion of an $84,000 public relations contract with the Las Vegas Housing Authority.

Smith based his complaint on a newspaper article. Commission attorney Nancy Lee Varnum told Smith in a March 6 letter that he must supply additional facts to support the allegations in the newspaper article.

Herrera said the handful of complaints filed against him in the past have never got past the initial hearing stage because they did not have any merit. On the Smith complaint, Herrera said he wasn't even served a copy to answer.

"It's obvious the folks are out to discredit me" said Herrera in talking about his campaign for Congress. But he said he's confident the "families of Nevada will see through it."

The Housing Authority awarded the public relations contract to Tribeca Media in November and then requested the company split the work with Herrera. The ensuing controversy prompted Tribeca and Herrera to pull out of the agreement earlier this month.