Another claim against Moncrief

By Timothy Pratt (contact)

Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2003 | 11:09 a.m.

Another constituent of Las Vegas Councilwoman Janet Moncrief has filed an affidavit with the Secretary of State's office Monday alleging that Moncrief did not report an in-kind contribution to her campaign.

The affidavit will accompany at least three other affidavits filed by former supporters of Moncrief in a Nevada Division of Investigation probe of Moncrief over alleged under-reporting of campaign contributions.

James "Buffalo Jim" Barrier, owner of Allstate Auto and Marine Electric on Industrial Road, said he filed the affidavit after organizing Moncrief's June 3 victory party at Hurricane Harry's bar on West Sahara Avenue.

He offered to do the party, Barrier said, because he "thought she was somebody who would do a good job."

But the newly elected councilwoman didn't recognize the party in her campaign contribution and expenses report filed Friday. Barrier's affidavit notes that the party had an estimated value of $2,000.

"She should've wrote this down as an in-kind contribution ... she didn't do the right thing," Barrier said.

Jim Ferrence, campaign manager for Michael McDonald, the incumbent who lost to Moncrief with 42 percent of the vote, said Barrier's affidavit pointed to "one of many inconsistencies in Councilwoman Moncrief's latest report.

"Her accountant seems to be intepreting statutes any way she wants," he said.

Ferrence filed a complaint in April to the Secretary of State alleging that Moncrief committed campaign violations.

Moncrief said she was "wasn't sure how it all occurred, them giving me the party." She also said she was unaware of Barrier's role in organizing the event.

"That would be news to me ... maybe he did and never told me," Moncrief said.

She said she went to the bar about two weeks before election night and was told by a manager whose name she said she has forgotten that she was welcome to hold the party there if the bar sold drinks and food.

"I never gave (the party) a second thought ... and didn't even think of it as in-kind contribution," she said.

"They didn't close down to the general public and kept the bar open and sold appetizers, so they made a lot of money."

Moncrief said she called Terry Lee Caudill, principal owner of Hurricane Harry's, on Monday afternoon, to confirm her version of the events on election night.

Attempts to reach Caudill made by the Sun were unsuccessful.

"I said, 'Give me a number or something if there's something we should amend.' He said he didn't feel there was a need to file anything," Moncrief said.

But Barrier said he arranged with the bar to offer free food for the estimated 300 people who showed up for the victory party, though he agreed that drinks were sold. He said the bar set up the room for the party and offered the food in exchange for help he had given the bar on previous occasions.

"I don't want to her to weasel out of this," he said.