Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

LOOKING IN ON: CLARK COUNTY:

How many free jackets can a guy wear?

Commissioners, other officials report gifts

Jackets ranked at the top of the list of gifts given to Clark County commissioners this year, followed by tickets to sporting events.

Commissioners and other public officials across the state had to disclose gifts they received last year on their annual financial disclosure forms, which had to be filed with the secretary of state’s office by Jan. 15.

Who got what?

Commissioner Tom Collins got more gifts than anyone — $3,975 worth. Apparently, the cowboy-turned-commissioner just can’t pass up a nice jacket. He got six of them.

Do you really need that many jackets in Southern Nevada?

We wouldn’t think so, but when we called Collins on Friday he wasn’t up for talking about the gifts. He also got an iPod and $1,250 worth of tickets to the National Finals Rodeo.

Commissioner Rory Reid came in at No. 2. He got tickets to the NBA All-Star Game and a pair of $100 Adidas shoes.

Chris Giunchigliani was the only other commissioner to report a gift — Kentucky Derby tickets.

Where did all this stuff come from?

Here’s a complete listing, with donor, gift and value:

Collins

• Las Vegas Hospitality Golf Classic — leather gym bag, jacket, two shirts; $250

• Professional Bull Riders — jacket; $275

• Las Vegas Bowl — jacket, iPod, watch; $700

• MGM Mirage — jacket; $400

• National Finals Rodeo Committee — jacket; $400

• Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association — jacket; $400

• Tim Behrendt — monthly fruit boxes; $300

• Embarq — National Finals Rodeo tickets; $250

• Alpha & Omega — NFR tickets; $500

• Binion Fechser — NFR tickets; $500

Reid

• NBA All Stars — game tickets; $1,547.30

• NBA All Stars — Adidas shoes; $100

Giunchigliani

• Truesdell family — Tickets to Kentucky Derby and charity functions; $750

What about aspiring county commissioners?

We didn’t want to leave them out. Las Vegas Councilman Larry Brown and Assemblywoman Valerie Weber have announced they will run for Commissioner Chip Maxfield’s seat.

Brown listed gifts worth $2,250. They included four jackets, three bags, a suitcase, an iPod, a watch, a gift basket and a gift bag. In each case, Brown listed the donor as the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Weber listed costs of three government-related conferences — a total of $1,720 — on her disclosure form.

What happened with the University Medical Center public corruption case last week?

The grand jury continued to hear from witnesses and still hasn’t made a decision. The grand jury will meet for a third session Tuesday, the earliest we’ll hear anything.

After an investigation that lasted more than a year, prosecutors are seeking an indictment of Lacy Thomas, the county hospital’s former chief executive. Thomas is accused of giving lucrative UMC contracts to his friends in Chicago in exchange for kickbacks. The grand jury will decide whether to indict Thomas on those charges.

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