McDonald: ‘I am not a target’

Jace Radke

Monday, May 19, 2003 | 11:12 a.m.

Las Vegas City Councilman Michael McDonald this morning continued trying to fend off suggestions that he is one of the targets of an ongoing FBI investigation into alleged public corruption.

"I'm not a target in the Galardi investigation," McDonald said at a press conference this morning. "I did not receive a target letter. I have met with the FBI but they asked me to keep the details of that meeting confidential."

The FBI had no comment this morning about McDonald's statements.

Last week the FBI served search warrants in Las Vegas and San Diego at several properties Galardi owns and a San Diego City Council office. The warrants sought documents relating to payments and campaign contributions to several current and former elected officials in San Diego and Las Vegas, including McDonald, Clark County Commissioner Mary Kincaid-Chauncey, and former commissioners Erin Kenny and Dario Herrera.

McDonald has acknowledged that he received monthly payments under a contract to provide consulting to Mike Galardi, one of the owners of local strip clubs that were raided by the FBI last week. McDonald has refused to say how much he was paid. "Mike trusts me, and I use my knowledge to help him but not my influence," McDonald said this morning.

He said he advised Galardi on such things as possible locations for new sports bars. Galardi has not opened any such sports bars in Las Vegas since McDonald obtained the contract, however.

This morning McDonald said he did not start working with Galardi until after he was elected to the City Council, and he said that was something that was covered in the meeting with the FBI.

"I've committed no wrongdoings on behalf of Mike Galardi. I've never lobbied the council on his behalf. And I abstained from voting on any issues that involved him," McDonald said.

"I have nothing to hide and that's why I'm fully cooperating with the FBI and opening up my records," he said.

But McDonald refused to say whether he would testify before a grand jury that is considering the case.

McDonald did say that he had other consulting contracts but that the one with Mike Galardi was on the only one involving a strip club. McDonald refused to identify his other clients, however.