Goodman scoffs at allegations against Moncrief

Friday, June 20, 2003 | 11:23 a.m.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman is playing down this week's allegations by two longtime political gadflies that they helped Las Vegas Ward 1 Councilwoman Janet Moncrief break campaign finance reporting laws.

At his weekly news conference Thursday, Goodman said the allegations that surfaced as Moncrief was being sworn in Wednesday are "a bunch of hooey until it has a basis in fact and some concrete proof."

Steve Miller, a former Las Vegas councilman, and recent Ward 1 City Council candidate Peter "Chris" Christoff filed affidavits Wednesday with the secretary of state's office alleging that they conspired with Moncrief to circumvent campaign finance disclosure laws.

Moncrief has denied the allegations.

Christoff said today that "it is not hooey and he (Goodman) knows it. The state has the concrete proof.

"I wasn't going to turn my proof over to news media and ask the secretary of state and attorney general to review what was being reported," Christoff added. "I gave it to the proper authorities for them to investigate."

Miller said he found Goodman's comments "comical in light of the initial evidence that has so far surfaced."

"If his former criminal clients came to him with the problems already exhibited by Moncrief, he would probably have told them to plea bargain," Miller said. Goodman was a high-profile defense attorney before becoming mayor.

Miller's affidavit said he helped Moncrief with campaign fliers critical of incumbent Michael McDonald, whom Moncrief defeated earlier this month in the general runoff, and coached her for TV talk show appearances -- services she did not report as campaign disclosures, he said.

Christoff, in his affidavit, alleged that Moncrief fabricated the names of groups supposedly responsible for campaign mailers and that she committed other infractions. He also claims he was involved in the alleged deception.

Both men had denied during the campaign that they were working for Moncrief.

Moncrief won the primary with 48 percent of the vote and the general runoff with 58 percent of the vote.

If the allegations against Moncrief wind up in court, it won't be the first campaign-related court case for Miller. Miller lost to Jan Laverty Jones in the 1991 mayoral race and he sued Jones for libel resulting from her campaign literature. Nine years later, a District Court judge ruled against Miller.

Goodman said he often enjoys the irony of politics, noting that on Moncrief's big day, shortly after she was being sworn in, reporters were asking her about the Christoff complaint, copies of which were faxed to the news media late Tuesday night. He said he did not believe Moncrief found it funny as he did.

Goodman said when you serve the public "you are naked" and subject to such attacks. Goodman said a politician has "to have a sense of humor" to get by in the job.

Miller said Goodman was making light of a very serious situation.