Deane, Reilly in television face-off

Thursday, March 23, 2006 | 7:21 a.m.

The public spat between the Clark County manager and County Recorder Fran Deane, who's facing criminal investigation, went from the news pages to TV's "Face to Face With Jon Ralston" on Wednesday.

The televised jabbing underscored the chaos in the recorder's office and continued to raise questions about whether the office should be elected or appointed.

As Clark County's elected recorder, Fran Deane is charged with ensuring that important documents - particularly those showing ownership of real estate and marriage certificates - are archived and accessible to the public.

Earlier this month police detectives seized boxes of documents in Deane's home and office in an investigation aimed at finding out if public documents were compromised for Deane's personal gain.

Despite the investigation, Deane has continued to show up at work.

Clark County Manager Thom Reilly said Deane made a verbal commitment to give up day-to-day responsibilities of the office. Deane disputes the account, and the two confronted each other on "Face to Face," on Las Vegas One, Cox cable channel 19.

Deane accused Reilly of threatening to have her arrested if she kept showing up to work.

Reilly denied the accusation, and then added: "My relationship to Fran is not the issue. It is the issue of the integrity of the office. It's the issue of the last four years how Fran has performed and behaved. And in numerous issues she has failed miserably at that."

Deane said Reilly has had it out for her since her first day in office.

"Mr. Reilly has accused me since the very beginning of my term of malfeasance and nonfeasance," she said.

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