Thursday, Oct. 26, 2006 | 7:57 a.m.
Was homegrown Republican Pennie Puhek a caring individual who just wanted to save a friend from a potential political meat grinder or a party loyalist trying to pull GOP gubernatorial candidate Jim Gibbons' bacon from the fire - or both?
More to the point: Did the Valley High School graduate and wife of a local dentist really tell Chrissy Mazzeo that the Gibbons camp would pay her to recant her claim that Gibbons assaulted her? And did Puhek warn Mazzeo that if she pursued her claim someone would kill her and her family?
Breaking her public silence on the Oct. 13 incident, Mazzeo - a 32-year-old Strip cocktail waitress - said Wednesday she was attacked by the five-term, 61-year-old Republican congressman and was then pressured by Puhek and others to change her story.
Later Wednesday, Puhek, 40, called Mazzeo's account "clearly fabricated" and suggested that Mazzeo "strongly consider seeking professional help."
In the notarized statement - which lacks the weight of an affidavit sworn under oath - Puhek said: "I categorically deny ... that I suggested to Chrissy that she not press charges for any reason, including money."
Clark County election department records list Puhek as a registered Republican. Clark County Registrar of Voters Larry Lomax characterized Puhek as "a very active voter" based on her turnout for elections.
On Oct. 18, Puhek, in a signed, unsworn document released by the Gibbons camp, said that on that now-controversial Friday night at McCormick & Schmick's restaurant, she wished Gibbons luck in the upcoming election before being invited to join the table that Gibbons shared with others, including political adviser Sig Rogich.
In Wednesday's statement, Puhek called Mazzeo "an acquaintance ... of five years. I have seen her socially only a few times, the last time being nearly two years ago."
Mazzeo accused Gibbons of pushing her against a wall in a nearby parking garage after they left the restaurant and trying to coerce her into having sex. Gibbons claims he simply caught Mazzeo when she tripped.
During an hour-long news conference Wednesday, Mazzeo said Puhek told her to drop the allegations and, for an undisclosed sum of money, sign a statement more in line with what Gibbons told police.
Mazzeo's attorney, Richard Wright, quoted Puhek as saying in an Oct. 16 phone conversation with Mazzeo: "There's money in this." Mazzeo added that Puhek told her the money would come from "the Gibbons party."
Mazzeo also quoted Puhek as telling her: "If you don't drop this, Chrissy, they will kill you, your baby and your family."
Gibbons later Wednesday issued a statement denying that he or anyone from his camp threatened to harm or give money to anyone to cover up any allegations.
Pennie Puhek was born in 1966 and graduated from Valley High School in Las Vegas in 1983 under her maiden name Pennie Mossett, according to the Web site reunion.com.
She married her first husband, Thomas Andrew Kenney, in 1987. She married her current husband, Thomas James Puhek, in August 1994, according to Clark County recorder records.
Thomas Puhek operates a dental practice at Pecos and Sunset roads.
The Puheks reside in a two-story, five-bedroom home in Southeast Las Vegas, according to Clark County assessor records.
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