Apparently after selling 1,000 acres near Kingman, AZ--and giving control of development plans for over 7,000 more acres--to Jim Rhodes, officials at the state Land Department learned that Rhodes has admitted to illegally using his money to aid powerful politicians in Nevada; that he has repeatedly and successfully been sued over allegations of fraud, theft and self-dealing by his investment partners and others he's done business with; and that he has a long history of complaints for shoddy workmanship and construction defects from people who bought his homes.
Jamie Hogue, deputy state land commissioner, said officials at the agency were not aware of those things when Rhodes officials first contacted them about the property nine days before the auction.
If they knew then what they know today, they probably couldn't have done much differently because Rhodes met the bidder qualifications published before the auction, she said.
At that time, land department officials were concerned about who could bring the money to the table.
The character of the high bidder was not an issue, she said.
Character never seems to be an issue. Look how hard Las Vegas city councilmembers have worked to keep Rick Rizzolo's club open, county commissioners to give licenses to felons like Vinnie Faraci, and how many commissioners have been caught or investigated for bribery. Part of the information on Rhodes came to light from Erin Kenney testimony during the G-Sting trial, which showed that after being a commissioner she received $200,000 a year from Rhodes as a consultant, and, from another witness, that supposedly Kenney was paid $20,000 a month while commissioner.
Other names which continue to pop up stinking of corruption along with Rhodes:
Sen. Harry Reid, who got $10,000 in illegal contributions from Rhodes.
Jay Brown, the Las Vegas lawyer who worked for Rhodes and has recently been representing Signorelli in the "imaginary" transfer of Crazy Horse Too from Rick Rizzolo, which manueverings have been extensively covered by Steve Miller. Brown is a longtime friend and investment partner of Sen. Reid. Among Brown's other clients was Mike Galardi, former owner of Cheetahs, who was convicted of racketeering and bribery of Clark County Commissioners in the G-Sting trial.
Galardi has stated he and Mike Malone, the former county commissioner, paid cash to Kenny and Commissioner Kincaid-Chauncey, and arranged sexual favors for Herrera. All of it was done in return for favorable treatment from the commission, he said.
Galardi has also claimed that local cops, prosecutors, judges, even FBI agents and an assistant U.S. attorney had taken payoffs in the form of money, campaign contributions or free services at his strip clubs.
And interestingly, attorney Christopher Kaempfer, partner at Kummer, Kaempfer, Bonner, Renshaw, & Ferrario, apparently passed on a threat by the law firm's client Rhodes to Commissioner Mark James who sponsored freezing zoning in the Red Rock Canyon area, limiting the number of houses Rhodes could build there.
Yep. It takes a whole lot of character to be successful in Clark County, if the meaning of character is money, money, money!
For more go to "New land baron has checkered past," or "Commissioners want more answers from developer Rhodes."
