Columnist Jon Ralston: Allegations of impropriety put commissioner in hot seat

Sunday, Oct. 2, 2005 | 2:13 a.m.

Talk about a recipe for political theater:

Put in one part ambitious Republican politician. Add in one disgraced former Democratic legislator. Sprinkle in a Democratic committee chairman allied with the discredited pol. And, just for spice, toss in another upwardly mobile GOP elected official who ousted the other Republican's husband from his state job, and this becomes a Szechuan-hot dish that will be served up before the state Ethics Commission on Dec. 14.

The question is simple: Did Clark County Commissioner Lynette Boggs McDonald, then a city councilwoman, abuse her office trying to save her husband's job in state Treasurer Brian Krolicki's office by importuning a couple of state legislators, Assemblymen Wendell Williams and Morse Arberry, who were once city employees?

The context includes Boggs McDonald's attempts as a councilwoman to be the Queen of Ethics and her naturally tenacious personality that includes fits of pique -- most notably when she publicly, albeit obliquely, threatened to cast then-colleague Larry Brown into the fires of hell.

And Williams, her chief accuser, was once thought of as having the potential to be the state's first black Assembly speaker until he was buffeted by questions about whether he was in community college employee Bridget Jones' diary -- his troubles cost him re-election.

Now Williams has done what so many try to do in Las Vegas; he has vanished.

So as the Ethics Commission plays a new game called "Where's Wendell?" -- much more fun to participate if you have subpoena power -- sorting out the truth becomes difficult.

The central allegation revolves around a 2003 legislative measure that would have reorganized the treasurer's office where Steven McDonald worked, although the bill might not have cost him his position. McDonald later was forced out by the treasurer amid charges that he had falsified travel records, which caused his wife to privately talk about Krolicki in terms that Brown would recognize.

The circumstantial evidence here is quite damning -- an e-mail that indicates Boggs McDonald wanted Williams to talk to her husband. Williams engaged in unusually aggressive questioning of witnesses on the treasurer reorganization bill. Both Williams and Arberry averring that the councilwoman called them to hector them about the measure.

Arberry's role in this case is bizarre. The commission report from Executive Director Stacy Jennings indicates the Ways and Means chairman interrogated Krolicki about the reorganization bill in the former's office, and the treasurer believed Arberry was doing so on behalf of Steven McDonald.

Jennings also obtained an e-mail from Arberry to Steven McDonald, which says: "Hi Steve ... Are they still trying to move you out? Please let me know how I can help so I can get on it right away." Why is a high-ranking assemblyman offering to assist a treasurer's office employee through his elected position? This looks awful for Arberry and would be an ethical violation if he did anything.

What's interesting here is that Steven McDonald knew Williams and Arberry before they knew Lynette Boggs McDonald. One of her defenses surely will be that her husband could have done this on his own -- but is it credible that he never would have informed his wife? Boggs McDonald also has insisted privately that she never made the phone calls and may be able to prove it with phone records.

The key to the hearing will be if, assuming he is found, Williams proves a credible witness and whether Boggs McDonald can convincingly defend herself.

The other story will be how believable Arberry and Krolicki will be and what fallout they will endure.

Indeed, by that December hearing, the ethics commissioners will have a Chinese menu of elected officials before them without the luxury of knowing just how sizzling what they order will turn out to be.

Jon Ralston hosts the news discussion program "Face to Face With Jon Ralston" on Las Vegas ONE and also publishes the daily e-mail newsletter "RalstonFlash.com." His column for the Las Vegas Sun appears on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Ralston can be reached at 870-7997 or through e-mail at ralston@vegas.com.