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twitterTHE COURTS:
New details emerge in suit against Gibbons
Governor’s alleged assaults of cocktail waitress in garage, at hotel described
Sam Morris
Chrissy Mazzeo and her lawyer, Bob Kossack, announce their lawsuit against Gov. Jim Gibbons Wednesday in Kossack’s office. Gibbons denies the allegations that he assaulted Mazzeo, saying she tripped and he grabbed her to stop her from falling.
Monday, Oct. 20, 2008 | 2 a.m.
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With a confidence she lacked two years ago, Chrissy Mazzeo is swinging harder this time at Gov. Jim Gibbons and the political establishment she says covered up for him.
Her toughened attitude, she told the Las Vegas Sun last week, is the result of two years of reflection on how her life as a single mother and cocktail waitress was turned upside down after she alleged Gibbons had assaulted her outside a Flamingo Road restaurant in the final weeks of his campaign for governor.
Gibbons was cleared of criminal wrongdoing, but Mazzeo said her reputation was smeared, leaving her blacklisted on the Strip and forcing her to leave town.
Mazzeo, 34, insisted she just wants to get the truth out about what happened between her and Gibbons outside McCormick & Schmick’s that rainy night of Oct. 13, 2006.
Mazzeo’s version of the events is contained in a 33-page lawsuit her new attorney, Robert Kossack, filed in federal court last week, alleging her civil rights were violated during the encounter and in the subsequent police investigation she contends was a cover-up.
Among those named as defendants in the suit are Gibbons; his chief political strategist, Sig Rogich; his attorney, Don Campbell; and former Sheriff Bill Young, all of whom say the suit is frivolous and will ultimately be dismissed.
The Sun compared the allegations in the lawsuit with the facts known publicly and provided in police reports two years ago.
The comparison found that Mazzeo is providing new details about the encounter.
For the first time, Mazzeo offers a vivid description of the events as she and Gibbons were walking inside the Hughes Center parking garage across the street from McCormick & Schmick’s.
“Then, suddenly and completely uninvited and in response to nothing more than his uncontrolled sexual lust, Gibbons grabbed a hold of Mazzeo’s arms, his left hand grasped around her right biceps and his right hand grasped around her left biceps, and shoved Mazzeo 10 feet until she was pinned against the northwest wall, the upper half of which was a chain link fence, in a corner formed by a column northeast of the elevator, causing scratches to Mazzeo’s back,” the lawsuit claims.
Mazzeo never came close to such details in her interviews with police two years ago. She often appeared confused about exactly where it all happened.
“She has a clearer mind now,” Kossack said. “This thing so rocked her at the time. If you listen to the 911 tapes, she was half-hysterical and extremely excited and did not convey well to the operators.”
Before putting together the latest version of the encounter, Kossack said, he talked to people Mazzeo had telephoned between the 911 calls, including her sister, to get their versions of what she had told them. Then he said he sat down with Mazzeo at length and tried to jog her memory. They both also went out to the scene to take photographs and retrace her steps.
In the suit, which reads like a long narrative, Mazzeo says an expressionless Gibbons squeezed her arms “harder and harder,” telling her, “You can try to run away or you can let this happen.” Then he allegedly said, “I’m not going to (expletive) you. I’m going to rape you.”
Gibbons has contended for two years that he merely had grabbed Mazzeo after she tripped while they were walking to keep her from falling, and the two said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.
Mazzeo, however, says for the first time in the suit that she had to give Gibbons a “swift kick” to his shins to escape his grasp while he was distracted by three youths who were running through the garage.
After freeing herself, the suit says, Mazzeo told Gibbons, “Go (expletive) yourself,” and she ran out of the parking garage.
Mazzeo told police she ran several hundred yards to La Quinta Inn on Paradise Road, where she called 911 a second time to report the alleged assault.
What she didn’t tell police was that she had a second alleged encounter with Gibbons at the hotel, an encounter Gibbons denied took place.
The suit claims for the first time that Gibbons had gone back to McCormick & Schmick’s after she fled and learned that she was at La Quinta.
When Gibbons showed up at La Quinta, the suit says, Mazzeo saw him through the lobby window and ran out the door.
“As Mazzeo passed Gibbons ... Gibbons grabbed her arm and said, “Wait, I need to talk to you. You screwed up because you called 911. You’ll be sorry,” the suit says. “Mazzeo pulled herself free of Gibbons’ grip, pointed her finger at Gibbons and responded, “Go (expletive) yourself.”
Two years ago, the Sun interviewed night clerk Kim Hartnett about a similar encounter she witnessed outside her hotel at the time.
Hartnett said she saw a man of similar appearance to Gibbons grab the arm of a woman who was yelling and pointing a finger at the man. But when Hartnett was later pressed by police, she couldn’t positively identify either Gibbons or Mazzeo.
Mazzeo’s suit also reopens questions about the authenticity of the parking garage security videotapes that helped persuade police not to file charges against Gibbons.
Police and Gibbons’ attorneys said the fact that neither Gibbons nor Mazzeo appeared on the publicly released tapes proved that Mazzeo’s claims were fabrications.
The tapes showed images from 14 cameras in the garage, switching from view to view in a constant rotation, stamped with the date and times that included the time the incident allegedly occurred. They showed no people or even any parked cars.
Mazzeo has contended the tapes would help corroborate her story — and that a police officer who mysteriously vanished from the initial investigation had assured her that this was the case.
In the suit, she claims that after police picked her up and drove her back to McCormick & Schmick’s, they told her they were “pulling the video cameras up.”
About an hour later, the suit says, Officer Edward Ortega told her, “Chrissy, we believe you. There is so much evidence. We got the tapes, we believe you.” (Mazzeo had mentioned Ortega two years ago but never described the conversation in any detail.)
The suit says Ortega told her police would arrest Gibbons — but not immediately.
Gibbons wasn’t arrested, and Ortega “was never heard from again,” the suit says.
Mazzeo believes a cover-up quickly took root because Ortega’s account didn’t match the official police account.
In his report, lead detective Mike Hnatuick said Ortega had learned from a Hughes Center security officer that security cameras in the garage “were not recording at the time of the incident.”
Two weeks after the encounter, however, videotapes of the evening in question mysteriously surfaced without any sign of Mazzeo or Gibbons in the parking garage.
Ortega couldn’t be reached for comment by the Sun last week.
Mazzeo alleges in the suit that some of the tapes displayed the wrong date, and she notes there were no wet tire marks to be seen anywhere in the footage of the garage — despite the heavy rains that fell the night of the incident.
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"Garage Gate"....Looking forward to the day when Sig, for his own preservation, sells out Young and Gibbons!
Time for a grand jury and sworn testimony.
It is time for the Luv Guv to tell the truth and stop thinking he is above the law.
LOL.....2 years ago, Mazzeo did not report the 2nd meeting.
Now, 2 years has gone by, and she has perfectly remember this big fact that she forgot 2 years ago.
It is just a big coincide that somebody reported seeing two people argue outside the hotel.
It will take 4-6 years before this suit gets to the court docket.
Mostly likely the suit will be thrown out because there is no evidence to support her allegations that the police conspired with others which is the root of her case.
Yet another Republican thug whose past is coming back to haunt him. Jail time for Gibbons!
Gibbons went after a woman? Don't republicans usually do same-sex scandals?
This guy is definitely a great potential presidential candidate for the GOP. He has all the qualities needed to represent that side of the aisle in the grand old tradition. Abuses his power, abusive to women, divorce scandal, doesn't show up for work. Yup, he fits right in!
He sounds a like lot Clinton!
Yes jfniace2 it has been two years. Unfortunately the system did not vet out the truth then.
Lets just get to the bottom of the scandal, one way or the other. Call a grand jury and get sworn testimony! Perjury is as much a crime as assault and I would like Young and Sig on the record as to what they know or what happened.
I really doubt Sig is as dumb as Gibbons and will not expose himself to jail time, after all he is not implicated in a crime, like our infamous Governor.
So for the sake of our State lets end it now using justice not the press!
If Jim Gibbons is as innocent as he claims, then he should stand up and demand sworn testimony from all the "players". Clear his name with the legal system he is sworn to defend.
As it is we have no choose but to "think" there is a cover up. As with many low level crimes committed by political "leaders"; it is not the original act but the abuse of power to cover it up that is the real attack on America.
Truth is what the public wants and must have for closure.
Dick Nixon "I am innocent"!
Bill Clinton "I did not have sex"?
"He sounds a like lot Clinton."
Except that Clinton went to work, championed women's rights, was a tremendous leader. But oh ya, that Monica thing? It makes them exactly the same....maybe on the Rush Windbag show.
"Chrissy" stated two years ago she wanted it forgotten and wanted to get on with her life and raise her kid.
now, of course, there might be some money in this so we better take another look, in the end the tax payer gives her money.
This is a good lesson, don't ever miss a good "money-grab" opportunity. Plus, getting in the newspaper and on t.v. is nice too. This poor innocent girl was grabbed in a parking lot and doggonit it is time to pay her for all she has been through, look how distraught she is, i'll bet her waitressing career has suffered immensely.
This totally sounds like a LuvGuv cover up. However, he's not the mastermind. He's not smart enough for that.
No doubt Sig, who works at the Howard Hughes building right next to the location the incident took place, was behind it all. Sig has the LuvGuv and had Sheriff Young in his back pocket.
When's the recall?
Does she look guilty to you? I can't really tell.
Lets ask a liberal, they have an uncanny ability to be able to tell if someone is telling the truth without knowing anything about them.
Clinton championed women's rights each time he had to send out his goons to trash the women that he was having affairs when the news broke about them. (Just to clue you in, he has affairs many times and his goons trashed many women.)
Clinton championed women's rights when he promoted his little girlfriend over other women in her department.
Clinton championed women's rights when he committed felony perjury in a sexual harrasement court case.
jfnance32, is it liberals you don't like or just the present moment? You seem out of touch with both. Try living in current times.
Your president, Bush, is horrifically bad. Possibly the worst ever. Clinton, regardless of your focus on ONLY his mistakes, was and is a true statesman and always will be seen as a tremendously effective and inspiring president. Bush will go down in history as the biggest liar.
Well...it's obvious now. If anyone got (expletived) here it was the citizens of Nevada.
Clinton was OK.
He did balance the budget and kick people off of welfare..
He did a few things wrong:
1) Committed a felony act of perjury
2) Allow a terrorist army to grow in Afghansitan and let some of those terrorist to sneak into the US to take flight lessons
3) Pushed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and banks to start reducing their standards so that more and more sub-prime loans would get generated so that minorities can get into homes.
Maybe...he was not OK.
"1) Committed a felony act of perjury"
Easily forgivable. Ken Starr is the real demon here.
"2) Allow a terrorist army to grow in Afghansitan"
Right, and Bush has done so much more to keep terrorists out of Afghanistan. Hint hint...it's not working!
"3) Pushed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and banks to start reducing their standards so that more and more sub-prime loans would get generated so that minorities can get into homes."
Another racist comment? No need to address your hatred. It speaks for itself. Too bad you can't keep that out of the mix.
Again..JohnVegas does not like facts.
I guess the LA Times is racist, too.
http://articles.latimes.com/1999/may/31/...
In this 1999 LA Times article it is titled, "Minorities' Home Ownership Booms Under Clinton but Still Lags Whites"
I guess Congress, Fannie and Freddie are racist, too.
"In 1992, Congress mandated that Fannie and Freddie increase their purchases of mortgages for low-income and medium-income borrowers. Operating under that requirement, Fannie Mae, in particular, has been aggressive and creative in stimulating minority gains."
"Most importantly, Fannie Mae has agreed to buy more loans with very low down payments--or with mortgage payments that represent an unusually high percentage of a buyer's income. That's made banks willing to lend to those they once might have rejected."
I guess the Clinton adminstration was racist, too.
" HUD's Cuomo and Fannie Mae CEO Franklin D. Raines, the first African American to hold the post. Better they reach a reasonable agreement that provides more fuel for the extraordinary boom transforming millions of minority families from renters into owners."
Too bad we did not listen to this racist remark from the LA Times: "It argues that a higher target would only produce more loan defaults by pressuring banks to accept unsafe borrowers"
This incident compares nothing, to the Clinton administration!!! This Governor is low grade slim..... This Governor will Bully, Lie Cheat, Ruin peoples businesses, if he thinks it is going to protect him and give him power.... See how it feels, Mr. Low Life Governor......
The Clinton admin did worse.
The Clinton goons thrashed up every women that even spoke of a relationship with Mr. LuvPrez.
Clinton even had the IRS go after its enemies.
This is all the fault of Harry Reid and Dina Tutis. Chrissy is a beautiful democrat who could have easily beat Jon Porter. Just marvel at those snow capped mountains - it just says Nevada! Poor Jim. Why waste any more time on this silliness. Jimbo is not smart enough to rape anyone. I find all of this hard to believe. More evidence, please... More pics, too!
"Again..JohnVegas does not like facts."
My bad. Not because of the articles, but because of something someone else said elsewhere on this site that I assumed was you. I'm very sorry.
About the articles, touche. My point is more like...hummm...are there no white people in this category, i.e., who were helped by this legislation? But okay, I get your point.
To tell you the truth, it would help me right now. I'm losing everything to this economy. It's horrible. I pray to God (insert your favorite here) that Barack will inspire us all to something better. I'm sorry, but John does not inspire me.
We need young blood now. I trust that Obama will surround himself with great people to make up for where he is lacking. He does not need to be everything. He just needs to be a great catalyst. I feel he is that.
Perhaps, people like you need to be inspire by politicans.
I understand that libs have this deep belief that government is the solution to all things.
I do not need a politican to inspire me to do anything.
My inspirations that come from people come from people that I know personally not some far distinct leader who has 100's of people telling he what to say, how to look and shaping his image on a second-by-second basis.
I belief the solution is ourselves not some big government.
"I understand that libs have this deep belief that government is the solution to all things."
Really? Not sure where you heard that (Rush or Hannity) but it doesn't apply to me or anyone I know.
"I belief the solution is ourselves not some big government."
Then why in the world would you EVER support someone like George Bush or John McCain who view us all as little children in need of protection?
He's a pig - plain and simple - get rid of him.
How did john mccain and obama get involved in this mess. This sounds to me like a man who thinks the rules don't apply to him because he's a "politician" or is it because he "knows" people. Either way let the judicial system work it out not some arm chair judge and juries. And since when did working in the casino industry automatically make you a slut and liar?
I don't even doubt her story, but it is still a big thing about nothing.
He pushed her backward and told her he was going to do her? Big deal.
Dems, please try to get over it.