Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2005 | 8:57 a.m.
University Chancellor Jim Rogers is raising eyebrows among regents for contributing sizable financial donations to Regent Jill Derby's congressional campaign and making sure that others close to him, personally or professionally, do the same.
More than 20 percent of the $108,000 that Derby collected through Sept. 30 came from Rogers, his family members or some of his high-profile Sunbelt Communications Co. employees. Rogers also co-hosted a fundraiser for Derby at the exclusive Turnberry Place Stirling Club on Thursday with Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., and former Las Vegas Mayor Jan Jones.
The fundraiser generated roughly another $25,000, with donations still coming in, said Derby, who is seeking the seat being vacated by Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., as he runs for governor.
Several regents, though refusing to criticize Derby or Rogers on the record, questioned whether the donations violated a Board of Regents' policy forbidding regents from soliciting one another or Nevada System of Higher Education employees during campaigns.
The policy, however, says nothing about whether employees are allowed to volunteer contributions, Dan Klaich, vice chancellor for legal affairs, said. As a private businessman, Rogers can participate in and donate to political campaigns, he said.
Both Rogers and Derby said Rogers volunteered and solicited the donations from his family. Derby said she has been"scrupulous" about not only not soliciting donations, but clearly informing anyone who volunteers to help that she is not asking them for money.
But Regent Steve Sisolak said the large amount of donations that Derby received from Rogers and other system employees "skirted close" to violating the policy.
Simply by announcing that she was running for office -- but then saying that she was not soliciting donations for her campaign -- Derby may have inadvertently put pressure on some employees, he added.
Regent James Dean Leavitt, while declining to comment on Derby's case directly, said the system is trying to avoid any perception of conflict.
The one-year "cooling off" period that regents passed last week -- forbidding regents from seeking or accepting a job or contract with the university system for a year after leaving office -- as sending a "strong message" that regents are serious about ethics, he said.
State ethics and political science experts see nothing wrong with the donations Derby received.
Because of Derby's 16-year track record in higher education, it is not unusual that people in the system would want to support her run for Congress, UNLV ethics professor Craig Walton and UNR political science professor Eric Herzik said.
"I don't see any flashing lights," Walton, president of the Nevada Center on Ethics, said.
While both doubted that any pressure from Derby would unduly force Rogers to donate, they said that because Derby technically is one of Rogers' 13 bosses on the board, others could perceive it that way. But Rogers, as a volunteer, multimillionaire chancellor, is not a "normal state employee," Herzik said.
The greatest potential damage from the donations would be to Derby because the money from Rogers is "definitely fodder for her opponents," he added.
"In a sense, this paints her as a one-issue candidate, (focused solely on higher education)," Herzik said. "She will have to work to overcome that image."
Assemblywoman Sharron Angle, R-Reno, faces a similar challenge because most of her money comes from out-of-state conservative groups, Herzik said. But Republican Secretary of State Dean Heller and Dawn Gibbons have more balanced campaign funds and platforms, Herzik said.
Derby received $4,200 each from Rogers; his wife, Beverly; and his children, Perry Rogers and Rosemary Rogers. Daughter Suzanne Rogers gave $1,000.
Sunbelt employees Francisco Aguilar, Earl Monsey and Jo Ann Prevetti also donated a total of $5,000 to Derby's campaign. Both Aguilar and Prevetti help the chancellor in the higher education system as his private employees.
System attorney Brooke Nielsen, UNR professor Jim Richardson and UNR Vice President for Student Affairs Shannon Ellis each gave $250 to Derby's campaign. Michael Harter, husband of UNLV President Carol Harter and vice president for administration of Touro University, donated $300.
Regent Chairman Bret Whipple said he plans to donate to Derby's campaign and sees nothing wrong with others in higher education doing the same.
"She's a tremendous professional, someone we respect and admire, and if there's anything we can do to help her, we would help her," Whipple said.
Christina Littlefield may be reached at 259-8813 or at [email protected].
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