Moncrief: ‘I feel violated’

Judy Odierna

Thursday, May 29, 2003 | 10 a.m.

Janet Moncrief has been called everything from a "drunk" to a "liar" in several mailers put out by incumbent Michael McDonald in the race for the Ward 1 seat on the Las Vegas City Council.

But when McDonald printed her date of birth and Social Security number on his latest flier, he went too far, Moncrief said at a news conference Wednesday.

"This topped it because it's a horrible invasion of my privacy," Moncrief said. "I wanted people to know how low he could go to give out my private information to the whole city."

In his latest campaign mailer highlighting a 1994 drunken driving charge against Moncrief that was reduced to careless driving, McDonald reprinted a Justice Court document on Moncrief's arrest, which states her full name, date of birth and Social Security number.

Moncrief said releasing this information puts her at risk of having her identity stolen and could also leave her vulnerable to a stalker.

Social Security numbers cannot be changed except in rare cases involving fraud or domestic violence.

"I feel violated," Moncrief said.

Jim Ferrence, McDonald's campaign manager, said the information is on the public record.

"We simply reprinted the public record of her DUI arrest," Ferrence said. "She called it no big deal and didn't go so far as to seal it so it's a public document. That information is readily available and our publicizing it doesn't make it any more or less readily available."

Moncrief said she plans to send out a mailer of her own to answer the numerous charges McDonald's camp has made against her. She also plans to send out a piece highlighting McDonald's link to the recent FBI public corruption investigation in Las Vegas.

The election is Tuesday.