Editorial: More distraction for Gibbons

Friday, Feb. 16, 2007 | 7:14 a.m.

Thursday's front-page story in The Wall Street Journal just adds to the troubles of Gov. Jim Gibbons. During his campaign, he had to endure damaging allegations about his personal and professional conduct.

Now, as governor, serious allegations are still coming and it appears his will be an administration plagued with controversy that could well damage his ability to forge an agenda.

In its front-page story Thursday, the Journal reported that the FBI is seeking to determine whether Gibbons, while a congressman, accepted "unreported gifts or payments" from a Reno software company in exchange for helping it secure Defense Department contracts.

The company is headed by Warren Trepp, who Gibbons says is an old friend. Gibbons says he only arranged for the government to become aware of the company, eTreppid, and that he had nothing to do with the actual awarding of the contracts.

Thursday's story was a follow-up to the paper's Nov. 1 front-page article, which disclosed that Gibbons took a weeklong Caribbean cruise in 2005 with Trepp, with the businessman picking up most of the expenses.

The latest story also disclosed the contents of e-mails it uncovered, including one sent to Trepp by his wife just before the Caribbean cruise. "Please don't forget to bring the money you promised Jim and Dawn," she wrote, referring to Jim Gibbons and his wife. Trepp replied, "Don't you ever send this kind of message to me! Erase this message from your computer right now!"

Another e-mail reported by the paper, sent Sept. 23, 2003, was from an eTreppid executive to Trepp. It read: "Jim really hit the ground running on that (contract). We need to take care of him like we discussed."

Thursday afternoon, speaking with Nevada reporters, Gibbons disputed the Journal story, which included the allegation by Trepp's former business partner that Trepp and Gibbons were behind an FBI raid on his home. The former business partner has filed a civil suit against Trepp, which is the source of some information reported by the paper.

We find it terribly unfortunate that all this controversy, which may last some time, is swirling around the governor at a time when education, transportation, public safety and other state services are underfunded and need the governor's full attention.