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Friday, July 31, 2009 | 2 a.m.
Catherine Cortez Masto
Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki
Sun Archives
- Attorney general's office says it can prosecute Krolicki (5-29-2009)
- 'King of Clubs' has Gentile clan, famed Palomino in sharp focus (3-15-2009)
- Krolicki pleads not guilty to felonies (12-30-2008)
- Krolicki case highlights accounting ethics issue (12-29-2008)
- Krolicki's strange strategy gets results (11-26-2008)
- Lt. Gov. Krolicki says he's an indictment target (11-24-2008)
The state’s prosecution of Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki could be an expensive undertaking.
If the Nevada Supreme Court disqualifies Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto from the case, the state will pay attorney Dominic Gentile $345 an hour — up to a total of $415,000 — to do the job, according to a contract prepared by Cortez Masto.
The attorney general said Gentile’s fees were well below those of other attorneys she considered. Gentile said the contract’s rate is a significant discount from the $610 an hour he typically charges.
The top deputy in the attorney general’s office earns $140,000 a year.
The Board of Examiners will consider the contract at its Aug. 11 meeting.
District Judge Elissa Cadish ruled the attorney general’s office should be disqualified from prosecuting the case, which alleges Krolicki, while state treasurer, mishandled millions of dollars in the Nevada College Savings Program, which that helps parents save money for school. Cadish ruled that the attorney general’s office has a conflict of interest because it approved many contracts the case concerns.
The attorney general’s office has appealed Cadish’s decision. The Nevada Supreme Court will hear it Aug. 31.
Krolicki is likely to argue at trial that he relied on the advice of the attorney general’s office in spending money from the saving plan. His attorneys, Richard Wright and Margaret Standish, have said prosecution by the attorney general’s office “creates an extreme appearance of impropriety and fundamental unfairness.”
Cortez Masto said in seeking a special prosecutor she first talked to the district attorneys’ offices in Las Vegas and Reno. Both declined.
Gentile donated $3,000 to Cortez Masto’s 2006 campaign. The attorney general said that was not a factor in her decision and she had not remembered the donation until a reporter asked about it.
Krolicki and his chief of staff, Kathryn Besser, have pleaded not guilty to misappropriation and falsification of accounts while he was state treasurer.
There are no allegations that money is missing, but a legislative audit found that more than $6 million in fees in the Nevada College Savings Program was spent outside the state’s budgetary process. Administrative and marketing expenses for the program exceeded the amount approved by the Legislature.
If the Supreme Court finds no conflict of interest in Cortez Masto prosecuting the case, Gentile’s contract will be dissolved.
It is very sad that we have a State attorney general that only represents Democrats.
Hopefully, one day we will get that represents us all.
Her claiming conflict of interest not to prosecute a top Democrat and then turning around and running this BS case on a top Republican is the lowest form of political gamemanship.
This is so shameful.
Can someone please explain to me why the other prrosecuting govt agency, the District Attorney's office cannot handle this case with one or two of their salaried atturnneys who unlike Gentile, prosecute criminals like this Krolicki character, on a regular basis ? If there's anything shameful in this situation, its the decision of Judge Cadish !!!!!
"Gentile donated $3,000 to Cortez Masto's 2006 campaign. The attorney general said that was not a factor in her decision and she had not remembered the donation until a reporter asked about it."
For once, SgtRock, I've got to agree with you.
Your state's AG can't seem to grasp the basic concept of "conflict of interest." And because a judge has already ruled on it, the fact the AG won't accept the judgment shows an arrogance that seems to infect all prosecuting attorneys.
gregor -- not only can you not spell, your post is just plain stupid.
This is a political strategy by Harry Reid to eliminate a viable candidate. Shouldn't the expense be paid out of Harry Reid's campaign warchest and not out of the Nevada Taxpayers pocket?
There is a nice article by John Katsilometes about the Gentile family and their exploits in the adult entertainment business. I wonder if the AG is going to dance at the Palomino to make up the $265 an hour that the sleazebag Dominic is giving up to prosecute Krolici.
It is a joke that Cortez Masto dosen't remember a large campaign contribution from a high profile person like Gentile.
"It is very sad that we have a State attorney general that only represents Democrats."
Yes, I'm so angry her office filed a brief supporting Democrat Jim Gibbons!
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/jul...
Wait, Jim Gibbons isn't a Democrat?
jfNance32, err, SgtRock, err, James F Nance Jr, what does it all mean?
This is just another waste of tax payer money. We have so many other problems with the state finances. I am not a fan of Krolicki, but it doesn't appear he did anything illegal or criminal. This nonsense should stop. You would think our AG has bigger fish to fry.