Sex-harassment allegations used against assemblyman

Kirsten Searer

Thursday, Oct. 21, 2004 | 11:04 a.m.

A new flier dredges up old charges against Assemblyman Mark Manendo, D-Las Vegas, who was accused in 2003 of sexually harassing women in Carson City.

Republican activist Dan Burdish said he paid about $7,500 to mail the flier, which he sent to constituents of Manendo and Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson.

It calls for Perkins to publicize the investigation into charges against Manendo, who is running for his sixth term.

"Mark Manendo can't take 'no' for an answer," the flier says. "If Manendo and Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins don't understand what 'no' means, they shouldn't be working in the legislature."

Perkins said he didn't take action on the report because it found no concrete answers on whether Manendo made comments to several legislative interns. Lorne Malkiewich, director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau, conducted the investigation.

"In essence, he reported back to me that he wasn't able to find any conclusive evidence that anything happened," Perkins said. "It seemed more like folks just felt uncomfortable."

Malkiewich said he can't release the investigation.

"As far as I'm concerned, if a legislator asks me to do something, that is confidential between me and the legislator," Malkiewich said. "I don't believe that information should be made public because of the nature of the information."

Manendo, a 38-year-old recruiter for the Community College of Southern Nevada, is running against Republican Kris Munn, a 30-year-old engineering and development planning manager.

The district is heavily Democratic, but this isn't the first hard-hitting campaign piece of the race.

Already, a mail piece warned women in the district about "sexual assault," including telling them to "avoid dangerous situations," "don't appear vulnerable," and "follow your instincts."

The anonymous flier then highlighted the allegations levied against Manendo in the 2003 session.

"How can we trust Mark Manendo to represent us in the Nevada State Assembly?" the flier asks.

Perkins said he was "appalled" by the ad, which he called "way over the top."

"They're trying to imply that sexual harassment and sexual assault were the same thing," said Perkins, a Henderson deputy police chief.

Manendo said people can be "as nasty as they want," but he will continue campaigning hard. People in his district know him and know that he has their best interests at heart, he said.

"I'm not a phantom legislator," he said. "I'm always around. I'm always accessible. I spend my weekends and evenings and days off from work in my community."

He said he knew the interns who made the complaints because they often visited other women in his office. He said he has consistently apologized if he upset them and did not mean to make them feel uncomfortable.

"If I did anything in my passing by into my office when they were sitting out in the lobby area of my office, if I said or did anything that offended anybody, I'm sorry," he said. "I'm human, I make mistakes. And if I've done anything to offend anybody, I apologize for that."

Perkins said he and Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, had conversations with Manendo about making women feel uncomfortable.

"Barbara and I both had discussions with him last time and basically suggested that he be more aware of how people perceive him," Perkins said.

But that's not enough, Burdish said. He said he has spoken with women who felt uncomfortable around Manendo and he trusts their stories.

"Perkins asked Malkiewich to do an investigation, Malkiewich did that investigation, why isn't Perkins releasing it?" Burdish asked. "If it's inconclusive, then release it."

Munn said he was upset that the first flier was anonymous. But he said he does think it's a relevant issue.

Voters ask him about the charges when he meets with them in the district, he said. Still, he said, he's focusing his campaign on Manendo's votes for tax increases.

"Obviously there's some personal issues he's going to have to deal with in this election," Munn said. "I'm just trying to stay away from it. I think I can beat him on political issues."