Kenny quiet after criminal charge filed

Jace Radke

Friday, Nov. 7, 2003 | 9:43 a.m.

-- Las Vegas Sun

She served two terms on the Clark County Commission from 1994 to 2002, and served in the state Assembly prior to that.

A sealed federal criminal charge was filed against her in July. That complaint has remained sealed. Months ago, Kenny reportedly told friends and supporters she had "made a mistake" and was working with federal investigators.

She has remained largely out of sight and has been unavailable for public comment since the May 14 raids by the FBI on strip clubs owned by Michael Galardi.

Kenny previously has been accused of unethical conduct.

Kenny's alleged involvement in a controversial land-use issue affecting Red Rock Canyon was one of the motivating factors in the County Commission's reconvening of its ethics task force.

Kenny has been criticized for lobbying commissioners on proposed development restrictions that would affect the old James Hardie Gypsum mine on top of Blue Diamond Hill. The 2,400-acre parcel was purchased by Las Vegas developer Jim Rhodes, who opposes the development restrictions.

Kenny, who now works for Rhodes, has said she did not violate a 1998 county ethics policy that prohibits county officials from lobbying "on any issue which was under consideration by the agency" for one year after leaving office.

Kenny said she never considered or voted on the development restrictions, first proposed by former Commission Chairman Dario Herrera, so the ethical rule does not apply.

Kenny's relationship with developer Jim Rhodes began in earnest in late 1996 and flourished in subsequent years, marked by nearly $200,000 the developer contributed to her bid for lieutenant governor.

Kenny also supported Commissioner Mary Kincaid-Chauncey's request to reconsider a county ordinance that banned contact between topless dancers and patrons.

In July 2002 the commission voted 5-1 to restrict the stuffing of money into G-strings at strip clubs. Jaguars, a Galardi-owned club, was among the businesses affected.

Kenny was absent for the vote, and Herrera cast the lone vote against the restrictions.

Just weeks after the restrictions were adopted they were reconsidered by the commission, and when a second vote was held last fall, the board removed part of the ordinance that had prohibited the touching of dancers by placing money into G-strings.

County cell phone records show Kenny phoned former Commissioner Lance Malone, who was working as a lobbyist for Galardi at the time, 89 times in the months during which the ordinances were being crafted and changed.

Another controversial issue involving Kenny was a proposal by Boyd Gaming and Triple Five Nevada Development Corp. to build an eight-story casino in a shopping center near Flamingo Road and Grand Canyon Drive. The January 2000 approval of that casino was widely criticized for violating the intent of a state law prohibiting neighborhood casinos.

Kenny joined with Kincaid-Chauncey and Malone in supporting the casino, while three commissioners abstained.

The casino was challenged in court, and the commission's vote for approval was subsequently thrown out.