Lobbyist pays $100 for champagne

Friday, Oct. 10, 2003 | 11:28 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- John Cummings, government relations officer and lobbyist for the Community College of Southern Nevada, paid $100 for a bottle of champagne for embattled Assemblyman Wendell Williams and his controversial female companion during the 2003 Legislature, it was revealed Thursday.

Cummings said it was not entirely voluntary and he called it an "egregious" act on the part of Williams to order the champagne and charge it to taxpayers.

The expenditure showed up on an amended lobbyist report filed with the Legislative Counsel Bureau.

Williams could not be reached for comment about the expenditure this morning.

Once close friends, Cummings and Williams are now at odds over the hiring of of Williams' friend Topazia "Briget" Jones at the community college and the subsequent events. Cummings said he hired her at Williams' urging, then refused to promote her. When her job was threatened, Williams met with Chancellor Jane Nichols on behalf of Jones.

An internal investigation is under way, and Jones has been granted whistle-blower status. Cummings is seeking the status today.

At the Legislature, lobbyists are required to file monthly reports on how much they spend on wining, dining and giving gifts to lobbyists, and they must identify on whom the money was spent.

Lorne Malkiewich, director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau, said such changes are common among lobbyists.

"When the reports come out, if someone sees something in it that's not right, they let us know," Malkiewich said. "It's not like every single report is amended every time. But it's not rare. I would guess 10 to 12 times a session a lobbyist amends their expense reports."

Cummings in April filed his report with the Legislative Counsel Bureau, saying he had not shelled out any money on lawmakers. When the furor over Williams and Jones arose, an internal audit started into spending by Cummings, who said he forgot to report the spending on Williams.

He filed an amended report Sept. 29 that said on March 4 he spent $125.60 for dinner for Williams at Glen Eagles Restaurant in Carson City. The report also said he spent $100 for dinner for Williams two days later, also at Glen Eagles.

Cummings took exception to implications that his omission may have been on purpose.

"Why would I try to hide $300? It wouldn't be worth it and it wouldn't be ethical," Cummings said. "I didn't neglect to put that in there. In reviewing my reports, I realized they were not complete and had my office call LCB to make sure I was in compliance with the statutes."

Cummings added, "I've always believed that it's important for records to be complete when it comes to lobbying expenses."

The other reports filed by Cummings showed he usually spent $40 to $50 when taking a lawmaker to dinner. When asked why the cost was so high for Williams, Cummings said there was only one dinner with Williams. He said that when he arrived at Glen Eagles on March 4, Williams and Jones were already eating and drinking. He said he ordered just a salad. He said he later paid the $125.60 bill and left Williams and Jones at the restaurant.

Cummings said he returned two days later to the restaurant to attend a charity affair for the Cancer Society and was approached by a waitress who told him that Williams had ordered a bottle of champagne to go. She told him Williams had directed that the $100.95 be charged to Cummings.

Cummings said he was surprised and shocked that Williams did such a thing. But he said it would have been unfair to stick the waitress with the bill so he paid it.

Cummings said he would send Williams a bill.

"I don't think that it's right that the college should be expected to pay for his excesses," he said.

The amended report shows that that he also took Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, to dinner in March, spending $59, and twice in May, spending $46 the first time and $49 the second time. He lunched with Assemblyman John Oceguera, D-Las Vegas, spending $32 in March.