Gibbons buoyant as he casts off probe’s yoke

Lisa J. Tolda / Reno Gazette-Journal

Gov. Jim Gibbons, in a news conference Monday in Carson City, tells reporters he’s out from under accusations he steered defense contracts to a friend while in Congress.

By David McGrath Schwartz (contact)

Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008 | 2 a.m.

CARSON CITY — Gov. Jim Gibbons had a cheery demeanor as he entered the room stuffed with Fourth Estaters on Monday.

“Good morning,” Gibbons said.

“You’re smiling,” a reporter noted.

“With good reason,” he replied.

Gibbons was there to announce that the great weight of an FBI investigation that had hung over him for two years had been lifted. The case, in which he was accused of accepting cash, vacations and casino chips in exchange for steering defense contracts to a friend, was over, Gibbons said.

The episode will live on only in silly pictures of then-Congressman Gibbons wearing a hat fashioned out of a napkin while on a cruise.

Gibbons seemed buoyed, even a bit smug (perhaps deservedly so), as he declared that yet another false attack against him was put to rest.

“Federal investigators, including the FBI, have confirmed what I have said all along. These accusations are baseless and there is not a shred of evidence showing I did anything improper,” Gibbons said.

For a tenure approaching two years, marked by personal and political gaffes, a steady stream of lawsuits and a divorce, Monday might have been Gibbons’ high point. (At least until later in the day, when his staff revealed that the state would have to cut its budget by 30 percent.)

The newly confident Gibbons said he would encourage Republicans to challenge him in the 2010 gubernatorial primary.

Sure, he still faces a lawsuit claiming he fired a whistleblower who revealed his numerous text messages to a woman who is not his wife. There’s also his divorce from first lady Dawn Gibbons. And the budget cuts that can only be called draconian.

But, for all the lingering negative news, Gibbons tried to connect the dots. “In case you haven’t noticed, there is a pattern of false accusations against me that become widely reported and then are proven to be absolutely untrue.”

Who is behind these attacks? he was asked.

Gibbons wouldn’t say, but hinted that they are partisan attacks.

So he suspects it’s a Democrat. He also suggested they originated with an elected official or officials.

“I am mystified and disturbed that even some of our elected leaders in this state don’t seem to be able to set aside partisanship for even five minutes to come up with solutions to the problems the citizens of the state of Nevada face,” he said.

Pressed about who, exactly, he was referring to, Gibbons demurred.

“You’re a very intelligent individual. You can figure it out,” Gibbons told a reporter.

Then he pivoted: He wants to work with whoever is elected president, and he is focused on bringing the state out of its economic crisis.

“Today is about putting behind us what happened in the past. Because what happened in the past wasn’t true. It was harmful to the political process of the state, and in some ways, people wanted to use it to block and obstruct the progress of Nevada,” he said. “I’m here to tell you today, we’re going to work to move this state forward.”

Asked whether his being cleared would help the McCain campaign in Nevada, he said: “I don’t think the McCain camp or any of the other elected officials running on the Republican ticket today cared one bit about this. I was focused on trying to find solutions. I don’t have the time to give them what they would want.”

For the first time in months, the governor wasn’t defensive while dealing with the media.

Asked how much his legal and personal troubles have contributed to the state’s economic meltdown, he joked that the opposite was true. The money he spent defending himself — he put it at $200,000 — had helped stimulate the economy.

As for news that North Las Vegas Mayor Mike Montandon, a Republican, is forming an exploratory committee to run for governor in 2010, the newly smiling Gibbons seemed unfazed.

“I’d encourage anybody interested in serving the people of the state of Nevada to look at serving ... no matter what level, whether it’s governor, mayor, city council, Legislature,” said Gibbons, who maintained he’s running for reelection in 2010. “What encourages me about this, people are actively talking about their interest to serve the people of Nevada.”

“So you’d encourage him to run for governor?” a reporter asked.

“I’d encourage anybody who’s interested in running for political office to look seriously about doing that.”

Gibbons had just told challengers to bring it on. Meet the newly confident Jim Gibbons.