Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Columnist Jeff German: Augustine should step aside

Not only does she have no honor, but state Controller Kathy Augustine is setting herself up to be remembered as one of the state's most arrogant elected officials.

Augustine last week admitted to violating state ethics laws and abusing the public's trust by putting state employees to work on her 2002 re-election campaign. She agreed to pay a $15,000 fine.

But when it came time to take the next step and resign from office, she refused, leaving the Legislature with no choice but to initiate costly and embarrassing impeachment proceedings.

Gov. Kenny Guinn, a Republican like Augustine, saw the controller's arrogance first-hand prior to calling for her resignation on Thursday.

While most of the state's top elected officials were quick last week to urge Augustine to step down, Guinn wouldn't jump on the bandwagon. He met with Augustine last week, but he did not ask her to resign. Some saw that as a sign of weakness on the governor's part.

Guinn told reporters Thursday that he was trying to take a more compassionate approach with Augustine. He was hoping that, after a few days to think things over, Augustine would meet again with him and do the right thing.

Augustine, however, didn't do the right thing. Instead, she callously snubbed the governor, refusing to sit down with him on Wednesday without her lawyers at her side.

So much for compassion.

An insulted Guinn hastily arranged a Thursday morning news conference with reporters at his Las Vegas office, where he lowered the boom on Augustine.

If Augustine doesn't resign, Guinn said, he will call a special session of the Legislature the second week in November for the sole purpose of impeaching and removing her from office.

But even after the governor laid into Augustine, there were indications she was determined to force an unprecedented showdown in Carson City. Her Las Vegas lawyer, Dominic Gentile, who is known for being a fighter, said he's already preparing for the impeachment proceedings.

The cost to the taxpayers, Guinn estimated, would be about $12,000 a day. No one was sure how many days the circus would last.

Yet, as the governor asked, "What price can you place on a higher standard of ethics?"

The disturbing thing about this is that the taxpayers shouldn't have to pay another dime to cleanse themselves of Augustine's services.

If she had any honor at all, she would do it herself.

Channel 8 reporter George Knapp either has chased one too many UFOs or opened too many car doors for Sandy Murphy, his favorite accused murderess.

That might explain why the gullible I-Team member, in his weekly column, has played into the hands of wacky gadfly Steve Miller.

The former Las Vegas city councilman is a Murphy supporter who's trying to grab publicity for himself as the Ted Binion murder trial approaches.

Miller apparently is Knapp's kind of alien.

While you're vouching for Miller's credibility and demeaning my journalistic integrity for exposing Miller as a publicity hound, at least give us the rest of the story, George.

Tell us what it's like to be Murphy's No. 1 public relations boy toy.

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