Mack pushes brother’s business at City Hall

Sito Negron

Friday, Feb. 13, 2004 | 9:11 a.m.

Councilman Michael Mack promoted his brother's SuperPawn business by sending e-mails to City Hall only weeks after he violated city policy by using his city computer to push a charity event.

In the latest case the e-mail was sent from his private address, not from his official municipal address, and went to an undetermined number of employees at City Hall.

In addition to his brother owning SuperPawn, Mack also is a consultant for the business.

The e-mail reads, in part, "If you're going to be looking for a special gift for your Valentine -- I can help! No matter what you may be looking for -- designer jewelry, certified diamonds, or a one-of-a-kind piece, no one can beat SuperPawn's price on jewelry!

"SuperPawn's corporate offices are attached to our premier jewelry store, The National Jewelry Liquidation Centre. This store, which is literally a few steps from my office, carries only the finest gold and diamond jewelry, certified stones and timepieces like Rolex, Cartier, and more."

The message is signed, "Best Wishes, Michael Mack."

Mack was not immediately available for comment.

In a case in early January, Mack used a city computer to send invitations to a charity fund-raiser, a violation of the city's policy for its employees.

The event was a fund-raiser hosted by Mayor Oscar Goodman for Shade Tree, a women's shelter. Mack, who owns Mack Consulting, said he did not get paid for sending the e-mail. Mack said he sent some of the invitations from his home, but wanted to check some of the addresses, which he had on his city computer.

Mack previously has been the subject of two ethics complaints, the most recent coming to a vote of the state Ethics Commission in November. The commission held that Mack did not violate ethics laws when he abstained from voting on a council agenda item involving Goodman's son, but that he should have been more specific in disclosing the reasons he abstained.

In 2002 he voted to postpone and ultimately to deny an application for a car dealership in northwest Las Vegas while failing to disclose he owed $60,000 to competing car dealer Joseph Scala. The city's ethics board recommended Mack be prosecuted in Las Vegas Municipal Court, where he was acquitted of four criminal charges.