Former campaign consultant who was sued prevails

Monday, Aug. 8, 2005 | 10:45 a.m.

A campaign consultant who was sued by former Las Vegas City Council candidate Steve "Devil Dog" Sanson over a payment dispute has prevailed in a Clark County Justice Court small claims case.

Nathan Taylor, chairman of the Nevada chapter of the Young Republicans and a Reno resident, had been accused of not performing the duties for which Sanson, a candidate for City Council Ward 6 in April, had paid him $450.

However, Justice of the Peace Lynn Hughes ruled Friday that Sanson did not meet his burden of proof in his allegations of a breach of a verbal contract between the two, according to court records.

"In the absence of a written contract, his (Sanson's) unexplained expectations could not be proven," said Taylor's attorney, Phil Beuth, who waived his $1,000 fee and represented Taylor for free, preventing the possibility Taylor would prevail and still wind up losing money in a case in which just $450 was at stake.

Sanson had been in contact with the producers from both "Judge Judy" and "The People's Court" to hear the case. But Taylor had said he would not agree to have the case decided in a TV courtroom, setting up Friday's showdown.

The Sun reported the filing of the small claims suit in a July 13 story about trouble within the local Young Republicans over financial problems stemming from its national convention in Las Vegas in April, which Taylor had organized.

Sanson presented exhibits indicating he had not been given value for the money he had paid Taylor. But, under cross-examination, Sanson testified that Taylor had prepared a logo, walked the precincts with him and had talked with campaign manager Sarah Arnold, Beuth said.

Sanson testified he had heard about some allegations in Reno and fired Taylor. Beuth presented news articles that showed Taylor had been cleared of those allegations.

The allegations stemmed from last spring when members of the Young Republicans state board filed a complaint with Reno Police about Taylor, asking them to investigate what happened to $25,000 that had been earmarked to plan the national convention.

Members of the group later apologized and dropped the complaint, citing an August 2004 letter from the chairman of the Young Republican National Federation that gave Taylor authority to create a company to manage the convention.

Taylor has said he has been left with $25,000 in personal debt from putting on the event that was attended by about 600 people from around the nation.

Sanson, a manager for Fronteer Directory of Nevada, said because of what he felt were inconsistencies in Taylor's testimony Friday, he is appealing the ruling to the Justice of the Peace.

"He may have won this battle, but not the war," Sanson said. "This matter is not over."