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Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak speaks at a news conference outside Metro Police Headquarters Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. Sisolak said he has filed a criminal complaint against his former girlfriend and former Henderson Councilwoman Kathleen Vermillion alleging that she tried to extort $3.9 million from him.
Friday, Jan. 27, 2012 | 2 a.m.
Vermillion Controversy
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KSNV coverage of the interview with Kathleen Vermillion's daughter, Jan. 26, 2012.
Former Henderson City Councilwoman Kathleen Vermillion
Kathy Vermillion’s public relations adviser described his client as scary, out of control and determined to destroy the reputation of her ex-boyfriend, Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak, according to persons who have heard a tape Sisolak secretly recorded of the meeting.
The purpose of the meeting, which was also attended by Vermillion’s attorney, Rob Martin, was to discuss Vermillion’s lawsuit against Sisolak, in which she alleged he had an “improper and secretive” relationship with her 15-year-old daughter and that Sisolak had violated her privacy by discussing the results of a drug test she took.
Sisolak and Vermillion had dated for five years before breaking up in October. Separate from the drama of her suing Sisolak, Vermillion is under scrutiny for her financial management of the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, the charity she founded 12 years ago. She says she plans to cut her ties with the organization so it won’t be saddled with controversy.
Sisolak said the meeting on Sunday was tantamount to a shakedown because he was told if he paid $3.9 million, the lawsuit would be dropped. Vermillion has described the meeting as something of an informal settlement conference. The tape has been turned over to Metro Police investigators.
Mark Fierro, Vermillion’s public relations consultant, said Thursday his remarks on the tape about his client were taken out of context. He didn’t dispute the gist of the paraphrase but said it was in reference to her reputation being destroyed and how “nobody would be able to put her back together again.”
On the audiotape of that meeting, sources say, Fierro talked about how the lawsuit could destroy Sisolak’s political career and that some people would believe he was immoral and lecherous if videotaped remarks by Vermillion’s daughter ridiculing Sisolak were made public.
Fierro said Thursday he was not referring to the videotape but to the mere allegation, contained in the lawsuit, that Sisolak had been involved in an unseemly relationship with the teen.
In that video, shown to reporters Monday, the teenager talked of Sisolak taking her to Victoria’s Secret, taking her and a friend to buy bikinis while in San Diego, texting her late at night and seeing a movie with her, which the teen said felt like “a date.”
On Wednesday, the girl’s father said he talked to his daughter about the video and that she said she was coaxed into being videotaped and that the allegations against Sisolak were false. Vermillion countered that her daughter stood by her comments.
Fierro said Thursday that neither he, Martin, nor Vermillion coaxed nor coached the young woman.
If Vermillion’s lawsuit had legal merit, no one talked about it during the meeting, sources said. Instead, Martin was described as saying that if the case went to trial he would have a “difficult time” convincing a jury that Vermillion deserved anything.
Mr. Sisolak had a FIVE year relationship with Ms. Vermillion... In the video tape Ms. Vermillion daughter said Mr. Sisolak took her to the mall 2 maybe 3 times where she purchased "pink" sweatpants and hoodie's from VS.... 2 or 3 times in five years...??? Come on Ms. Vermillion this is laughable... He took her to one movie by himself in a five year time frame and shared a bag of popcorn... Who doesn't share popcorn at the movies? On Jon Ralston you said that would be inappropriate even if her father did that with her... What? You have turned something so innocent into vulgar... Mr. Sisolak took her to the mall with your knowledge, took her to the movie with your knowledge... On Jon Ralston you made it sound like Mr. Sisolak only gifted your daughter money until Ms. Gentry pointed out he was generous with your son and foster son... You stated you were upset that Mr. Sisolak continued a relationship with your children after he broke it off with you Oct 2011 YOU GAVE HIM PERMISSION.. In an email you sent to Mr. Sisolak dated Nov 21, 2011 you tell him.. You would appreciate his continued support of your charity, and would not interfere should he chose to continue a relationship with your daughter.... Ms. Vermillion NO ONE IS BUYING INTO YOUR DECEPTIVE TACTICS... From this Sun article it appears your Unprincipled Attorney Rob Martin and your Disreputable Public Relations Advisor Mark Fierro have your number too...
Comment removed by moderator. Personal Attack
This stuff makes me sick. If Sisolak wasn't smart enough to record their meeting on the sly, then he'd be fighting off major lawsuits and wasting tons of money...I hope these people go down. The law doesn't protect you well against this kind of dirty pool...these three (Vermillion, Martin, & Fierro) will probably get away with it.
Not the best PR man if you ask me. She deserves a refund.
Comment removed by moderator. Inappropriate
This is like Wikileaks... Raw honesty always freaks people out....We need more of it.
I guess the term "PR" really does stand for Pure Rubbish...
"Kathy Vermillion's public relations adviser described his client as scary, out of control and determined to destroy the reputation of her ex-boyfriend..."
What was that about glass houses and who shouldn't be throwing rocks?
"This is like Wikileaks... Raw honesty always freaks people out....We need more of it."
doubledown -- kudos to you for cracking the collective illusion so many choose to live in. Kind of like watching a family-friendly flick by John Waters.
////////
Winston - "I hate purity. I hate goodness. I don't want any virtue to exist anywhere. I want everyone to be corrupt to the bones."
Julia - "Well then, I ought to suit you, dear. I'm corrupt to the bones." -- "1984" Part II Chapter 2
These two need to just go away!
Something's seriously wrong with this story. Someone needs to be sanctioned.
So even her own PR "professional" admits how crazy she is on tape?
Thinking that this should not end well for anyone on that side of sanity. (Vermillion, Fierro, Martin and so on.....)
Uh, I'm pretty sure that Nevada is still a two party consent state when it comes to clandestine voice recording.
Recording of a private or privileged conversation without revealing the presence of a recording or listening device, absent a court order is a class D felony.
Vermillion should press charges against Steve-O for what appears to be a well publicized felonious act.
keystone6,
Check your facts. I was told recently that Nevada only requires two party on phone calls and only one party on in person. Since the person recording knows it is going on, she and her peeps are probably in the weeds on this one.
I'm guessing the charges for extortion will be the only valid point to press in this case.
"Recording of a private or privileged conversation without revealing the presence of a recording or listening device, absent a court order is a class D felony."
keystone6 -- excellent point, one I wondered about. Especially since it was done with attorneys in the room, then turned over to the police as criminal evidence. But since the cops and feds do it all the time in this Big Brother nation, it may be a moot point in the end.
"Is this 1984, or what?" -- the Honorable Alex Kozinski, now chief judge of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in the Unabomber case
One can record conversations without the party's consent as long as; 1) the conversation is in a location where there's a reasonable expectation of privacy and the person recording is part of the conversation; 2)the recording is taking place in a location where one does Not have a reasonable expectation of privacy; 3) the recording is part of a public safety exception.
Both Sisolak and his ex need to be run out of Las Vegas. He should not be making decisions of any kind for the citizens of Clark County, he obviously has huge issues. Despicable!
All this story needs now is a sex tape. I'll get the popcorn ready!
This whole story is really sad. Being a woman, I could never imagine being so bitter about a breakup that I would do this to a person, no matter how or why things ended. It's obvious that Mr. Sisolak put his all into this relationship, including treating these children he spent 5 years with as his own. He took the children shopping and to the movies - All the things a caring, normal father figure would do. It's not hard to see that Steve Sisolak is a victim of extortion, and it is truly sad. Shame on you Kathleen, shame on you.
Judy,
I'm thinking that you don't quite see the whole picture. Ms. Vermillion is described by those that work for her as being crazy. She placed her child in a horrible position by somehow getting her to lie on tape. Even the ex-husband is standing up for Commissioner Sisolak because of what was done to the daughter being put up and coerced into lying on the erroneous videotape. She and her team are accused of attempting to extort $3.9 million. She should be the one run out of town. She needs to go to a substance abuse facility by the looks of her on the two interviews recently aired on television.
Life seems to really catch up to some people. One day they think they have it all and the next the house of cards come crumbling down. Look at her, she looks terrible, all brought on by her own misdeeds. Now having her child involved, what will she become. Tragic but deserved. Oh by the way, Sisolak is not without fault either. My .02 cents
Last thing... whats up with that video at the end with her driving her car with the cheesy hat on. You cant use a cell phone while driving but you can use a video player?
A person with narcissistic personality disorder may:
React to criticism with rage, shame, or humiliation
Take advantage of other people to achieve his or her own goals
Have excessive feelings of self-importance
Exaggerate achievements and talents
Be preoccupied with fantasies of success, power, beauty, intelligence, or ideal love
Have unreasonable expectations of favorable treatment
Need constant attention and admiration
Disregard the feelings of others, and have little ability to feel empathy
Have obsessive self-interest
Pursue mainly selfish goals
The new newspaper in town,
SSJ Steve Sisolak Journal will secretly record your conversation and then share it with their friends in the media.
Part 1 of 2
Tonight TV news stations are telling us that Kathleen Boutin-Vermillion is no longer associated with Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth (NPHY).
However, according to the Nevada Secretary of State's online corporate records as of 1/26/12, HOMELESS YOUTH FOUNDATION (HYF) is a Nevada non-profit corporation incorporated June 30, 2008. It is Nevada Entity E0428492008-5. In a regular List of Officers & Directors for HYF, filed with the Secretary of State on May 11, 2011, signed by Ms. Boutin, she is listed as Registered Agent for Service of Process and as Executive Director.
Sadly, Mrs. Sandy Miller is listed as a Director, i.e. Member of the Board of Directors with an address on that same residential street in Henderson starting with "C" where Ms. Boutin listed herself as the person to serve in lawsuits against Homeless Youth Foundation or Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth and Homeless Youth Foundation. I doubt Mrs. Miller lives or works at that address. On HYF's website as of 1/26/12, Mrs. Miller is touted as a former Nevada First Lady, and mother of the current Secretary of State. Sadly someone running HYF was trying to give HYF the appearance of legitimacy On that same Secretary of State filing for HYF, Marcus Conklin is listed as President, Jasen Cassady is listed as Treasurer and Tim Herbst is listed as Secretary of HYF. None of those three are listed as members of the Board of Directors.
In contrast on 1/26/12, on HYF's website, http://www.homelessyouthfoundation.org/u... a shadow tab when you mouse over "About Us", Kathleen Vermillion, Sandy Miller, Tim Herbst, Jasen Cassady and Mark Fiorentino are listed as "Trustees". In non-profit corporate law parlance a foundation (other than a private family foundation) and a corporation are the same, and Directors and Trustees serve the same function. Yet for some odd reason Ms. Vermillion and Mr. Fiorentino are not listed in the HYF filing with the Secretary of State as Directors or Trustees.
On the Homeless Youth Foundation website, at "Credentials" http://www.homelessyouthfoundation.org/c... there is a copy of an IRS 501(c)(3) status approval letter for HYF addressed to "Ms. Butin" on that "C" named residential street in Henderson and dated March 20, 2009. The "Credentials" page of the HYF website also has a pdf of some unsigned Bylaws, and a statement (not a link) which says "Audit and Financials will be available soon in pdf format"
How soon is soon?
Part 2
How soon is soon?
Apparently, the Homeless Youth Foundation has been operating since 2008, so given that the HYF website says the "Audit and Financials will be available soon in pdf format" one would assume that the Audited Financial Statements would already be "ready" or finished for 2008, 2009 and 2010, as well as HYF's IRS Form 990 tax returns for 2008, 2009 and 2010.
While, as far as I know, the Homeless Youth Foundation's Financial Statements and IRS 990's don't have to be posted online, if HYF is to hope to continue to function as a useful and important charitable foundation/non-profit corporation, it will be important that those documents be made public ASAP. That would be especially important given that in the 2009 Audited Financial Statement for Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth (viewable on its website as of 1/26/12) had, at "Note 4" reference to a transfer of roughly $300,000 of Partnership for Homeless Youth's restricted and unrestricted funds were 'transferred to an affilated non-profit corporation'. One must assume that the roughly $300,000 of NPHY money went to this "Homeless Youth Foundation".
The question of the evening is whether Ms. Boutin-Vermillion is also gone as Executive Director of this lesser known "affiliated" Nevada non-profit corporation, as well as how that roughly $300,000 was spent by Homeless Youth Foundation.
So sad for all of the nice people who are volunteer Directors and Advisors for these organizations, so sad for the donors, so sad for the kids who needed every dime donated to help them.
"Recording of a private or privileged conversation without revealing the presence of a recording or listening device, absent a court order is a class D felony"
That is not Nevada law.
If one is talking about wire tapping then both parties have to consent or one has to have a court order.
If one is talking recording a face-to-face conservation then there is no requirement for both parties to consent or for one party to get a court order. As long as the person that is doing the recording is a participant in the conversations then the one person can secretly tape the face-to-face conversations(NRS 200.650).
So you can't secretly tape a phone call unless you have court order or if it is part of public safety system like 911.
You can secretly tape a conservation you are having face-to-face like in a meeting or on the street corner.
You can't secretly tape convervations that others are having in another room.
What is this concept???? Recording private discussion.... and giving them to media.. This is utter non-sense.........
Bensie Dorien
prcompanionpr@gmail.com
www.prcompanion.com
Think of how this HYF was ran??? Very disqusted on how this organization was set up purely to line the pockets of Boutin. Using the plight of youth in need-Really??
$220,000 yr + extravagant getaways after $200,000 in grants from US? Is the process that flawed where it HAS to take a whistleblower to catch this? This entire program should be be disbanded and the "quiet Abusers" and sponsors should all be required to explain publicl. , why they didn't step up and report these obvious improprieties sooner. As for Ms. Boutin-Vermillion, she is already in prison and hasn't realized it yet. Her interview on Ralston was a joke!! Nice try... Using her daughter?? Any readers ever attend a Henderson City Council meeting? How on earth was she ever elected? Her outbursts and how she handled anything and everything was something else! Good luck K, u'll need it..
What kind of lawyer could Robert Martin be, allowing himself to be involved in this kind of meeting?
The "settlement" was clearly an extortion meeting with threats such as this:
Fierro was quoted as saying that they were not accusing Sisolak of criminal conduct but that "this is the stuff that ends political careers."
And the solution to this is to make "this stuff" disappear for the payment of $3.9 million dollars...
What kind of lawyer is this? The type of lawyer who readily admits that he has doubts of the success of seeking the "settlement" in a court of law of, but admits that the extortion method would be better because he felt that he would have a hard time convincing a jury to give her the money.
Hope that none of you hire Mr. Martin to represent you, because it does not sound like he would be honest with you and tell you what your chances are of prevailing in a case. Think he told Ms. Vermillion that he thought he would have a hard time convincing a jury that she was worth it? He was quoted in the meeting as stating just those words about his client, Ms. Vermillion.
Thinking his motivation might only be of a financial nature...
Do you thing he is having second thoughts of attending the meeting?
Do you know what kind of a lawyer this is?
Perhaps he's the kind that deserves to be considered for disbarment?
At this point the IRS and State of US Attorney General should audit the entire charity. Find out what was brought in, how much was used for the children and what the "board" was paid. The onion is starting to get pealed and it smells rotten.