Regent criticizes debate over research money

Friday, Dec. 3, 2004 | 9:43 a.m.

UNLV executives may not have gone forward with their discussions about ways to avoid paying research money back to the state, but that didn't stop Regent Doug Hill from chiding the university for even coming up with the plan.

Through a series of e-mails over the course of about two years, UNLV President Carol Harter and other executives discussed ways to avoid the 25 percent tithe back to the state from the money they received from research grants to cover overhead costs by diverting more grants through the university's private research foundation.

An internal audit cleared the university of any wrongdoing, but Hill said the discussions violated the trust the University and Community College System of Nevada has with state lawmakers.

He likened the e-mails to discussing ways to rob a bank.

"The fact that we don't rob the bank does perhaps show that we haven't violated the law, but it does bring up a serious question about the moral character of this person who talked about robbing the bank," Hill, of Sparks, said.

Gerry Bomotti, UNLV's new vice president of finance who came on board after the audit began, instead said he viewed the conversations between UNLV administrators as filing taxes and finding a way to use the tax code to one's best advantage.

At Hill's request, Bomotti promised to put an end to or report any future conversations or actions that might violate the system's trust with the state.

Harter declined to comment on Hill's statements, but she stressed that the audit had cleared UNLV of any financial wrongdoing.

"It totally vindicates the university."