Ethics panel chief on Goodman’s witness list

Sito Negron

Monday, April 19, 2004 | 11:01 a.m.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman's witness list for his May 12-13 ethics hearing includes the man who filed the initial complaint against him and the executive director of the state Commission on Ethics, who prepared the report that recommended a full commission hearing.

But Stacy Jennings, the commission's executive director, said it's unlikely that either she or the complainant will be called before the commission.

"Under the administrative procedures act only people with first hand knowledge of the facts and events are allowed to testify," Jennings said. "I don't know that I have any first hand knowledge of anything the mayor did."

She said Goodman is trying to deflect attention from whether or not he broke ethics rules.

"His list says he wants to talk about my investigation, and that doesn't have anything to do with what the mayor did," Jennings said. "I'm not the issue here. I'm just doing my job."

Goodman faces a commission hearing because of allegations that he benefited iPolitix , a business in which his son and Councilman Michael Mack have an interest, by passing out invitations with his title and acting as a host at a company party during a January U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Washington, D.C.

The company's product is a computer disc that allows politicians to track peoples' interest in specific issues. It used as a promotion a disc featuring material owned by the city that the mayor provided to iPolitix at no cost.

Jennings' investigation also raised questions about a $100,000 contract between Goodman and Southern Wine and Spirits, with the money to be split between the city and a school co-founded by his wife, the mayor's use of a Cadillac loaned to the city, and a magazine promotion in which Goodman offered to rename a street for the contest winner.

Those issues were included in the complaint that was forwarded to a commission hearing by a two-person panel on April 2.

Goodman called a press conference immediately after the complaint was released April 2, and accused Jennings of having a hidden agenda. He since has declined to elaborate on what he meant, and said at his press conference Thursday that he didn't want to hurt innocent people by pursuing that allegation.

In his request to call Jennings as a witness, he states that he wants her to testify about the conduct of her ethics investigation.

Goodman was not available for comment Monday morning.

His witness list is similar to that of the commission -- calling on his wife, his son, Mack, two city attorneys, three public information officers and other city officials -- but includes Jennings and Robert Rose, who filed the original complaint against Goodman.

Goodman's witness list says that he wants to ask Rose if anyone helped him prepare the complaint. Rose said he'd be happy to testify.

"If he thinks somebody helped me he's got another thing coming," said Rose.

All told, the mayor will face eight charges of state ethics violations in front of the Ethics Commission on May 12. If convicted of the charges, he could face fines and possible removal from office.