Editorial: Gibbons asks: Who, me?

Friday, March 16, 2007 | 6:55 a.m.

Gov. Jim Gibbons believes he should have the last word on his legal defense fund that he created in secret and which he now wants to shield from a formal inquiry by the Nevada secretary of state.

And that last word is "enough."

The governor released a statement Wednesday that said, "To those who keep trying to make a controversy where none exists, I say, 'Enough,' and let the business of the people of Nevada be done."

And as is standard with politicians trying to escape scrutiny, Gibbons in his statement also shifted attention away from himself. "The uproar over this legal defense fund is completely driven by a few individuals ..." he blustered. "I realize there are some in the media and political naysayers who will try to create a story or controversy every day, to defeat the goals of my administration or just for the sport of it."

Just for the record, "some in the media" were not there when Gibbons, campaigning for governor, shared multiple drinks and a table with Chrissy Mazzeo. They did not put him into this position, which ended with her making (ultimately unproved) allegations that he assaulted her.

There were no media or political naysayers around when Gibbons in the late 1980s hired an illegal immigrant to be his nanny and housekeeper. They didn't subsequently advise him to take a tough stand on illegal immigration when he was elected to the House.

Neither were there any reporters or political naysayers around when, as a congressman, he assisted a Reno businessman in getting lucrative defense contracts, and they weren't around either when he decided to let this same businessman treat him and his wife to an expenses-paid Caribbean cruise.

It was these activities, and the questions that surrounded them, that led the governor to set up his legal defense fund. But there were no members of the media around, or political naysayers, when he decided last November to defy House rules in setting up the fund, or when he decided to ignore Nevada law and not include the fund, which grew to more than $200,000, on his financial disclosure form filed Jan. 16.

Gibbons finally disclosed his fund on March 6, but only after Las Vegas Sun columnist Jon Ralston asked him about it. Now he is being evasive toward Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller, who has twice asked Gibbons to answer specific questions about the fund.

To that, and to all of Gibbons' deceit regarding this fund, we say, "Enough."