Nevada officials bicker over Vegas official's case

Tension between state Attorney General Brian Sandoval and Nevada Secretary of State Dean Heller increased Monday as Heller released documents expressing concerns about a Las Vegas councilwoman accused of filing false campaign reports.

The documents are likely to figure in a Feb. 17 Clark County District Court hearing where attorney Rick Wright, representing Councilwoman Janet Moncrief, will argue that his client was the target of selective prosecution by Sandoval's office.

In releasing letters between the two offices, written last February and March, Heller said Sandoval's chief criminal deputy, Gerald Gardner, last week made a "self-serving and outrageous attempt at somehow implicating" Heller's office in seeking Moncrief's grand jury indictment.

Gardner's Jan. 6 letter said the letters shouldn't be released. He said they'd create confusion by indicating that Heller's office had reversed an initial position in support of prosecution.

Heller said in a response Monday to Sandoval that the record is clear that his office "was never and could never have been in 'overwhelming support' of the attorney general's criminal prosecution of Ms. Moncrief."

"To now suggest otherwise is a disingenuous attempt by your staff to avoid taking responsibility for their own actions."

Gardner said Monday that Heller's office wanted Moncrief prosecuted, adding, "At all times they were gung-ho about prosecuting this case criminally." But he said Heller's chief deputy, Renee Parker, raised concerns last year about the credibility of key witnesses against Moncrief.

Gardner also said there was no "selective prosecution" of Moncrief. News accounts have contrasted the case to state Controller Kathy Augustine's recent $15,000 fine, impeachment and censure and Assemblyman Chad Christensen's $4,500 fine for campaign-related violations.

"Our position is there's a big difference between selective and aggressive prosecution," Gardner said.