Jim Gibbons (United States politician)

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Jim Gibbons
28th Governor of Nevada
Incumbent
Assumed office  2007-01-01
Lieutenant	Brian Krolicki
Preceded by	Kenny Guinn
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Nevada's 2nd congressional district
In office 1997-01-03 – 2006-12-31
Preceded by	Barbara Vucanovich
Succeeded by	Dean Heller
Born	December 16, 1944 (1944-12-16) (age 63) Sparks, Nevada
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Dawn Gibbons (filed for divorce on 2008-05-02)
Profession	Geologist, attorney, pilot
Religion	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon)

James Arthur "Jim" Gibbons (born December 16, 1944) is the 28th governor of the U.S. state of Nevada. A Republican, he is a former member of the United States House of Representatives, having served from 1997 to 2006.

[edit] Biography

Born in Sparks, Nevada, Gibbons interrupted his studies at the University of Nevada, Reno during the Vietnam War to serve in the United States Air Force (1967–1971). He also attended Southwestern University School of Law, in Los Angeles, and the University of Southern California for post-graduate studies. A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Air Command and Staff College and the Air War College, he joined the Nevada Air National Guard in 1975 and served as its vice commander from 1990 to 1996, participating in the first Gulf War. During his military career, Gibbons earned nineteen service medals, including the Legion of Merit and Distinguished Flying Cross. In civilian life, he has worked as a lawyer in private practice, an airline pilot for both Western Airlines and Delta Air Lines, a hydrologist and a geologist. Gibbons is a Latter-day Saint; his wife is a Presbyterian.^[1] He and his wife are currently in the midst of divorce proceedings.

[edit] Political career

Gibbons served in the Nevada State Assembly from 1989 to 1993, during which time he was called to active service in the Gulf War as an RF-4C Flight Leader. During the conflict, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary achievement while participating in a mission in which he flew his unarmed aircraft on a reconnaissance mission to acquire politically sensitive imagery of enemy targets in Kuwait.

1994 gubernatorial election

While working as a pilot for Delta Air Lines and serving as an assemblyman in the Nevada House, Gibbons ran for Nevada governor in 1994. As the Republican nominee, he lost to Democrat incumbent Bob Miller, having received 156,875 votes to Miller's 200,026.

U.S. Congress

He was elected to the House in 1996 for Nevada's 2nd congressional district, and served as vice chairman of the House Resources Committee, as well as on the Armed Services Committee, the Homeland Security Committee, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. His wife, Dawn Gibbons, was elected to the Nevada State Assembly in 1998. Congressman Gibbons served 8 years as Nevada's United States Representative in the 2nd congressional district. His long-time congressional Chief of Staff, Michael Dayton, was replaced in 2002 by then-legislative director, Robert Uithoven. Mr. Uithoven, who had served Mr. Gibbons as a staff member for many years, including his four years as Mr. Gibbons' chief of staff, moved on to serve as campaign manager for Mr. Gibbons' successful 2006 Gubernatorial campaign. While Mr. Uithoven was not given a gubernatorial position, his predecessor as Gibbons' congressional chief of staff, Michael Dayton, was named as the new governors top aide.

2006 gubernatorial election;

Main article: Nevada gubernatorial election, 2006

Gibbons announced in late 2004 that he would not run for a sixth term in 2006, instead opting to run for Governor of Nevada. He won the August 15 party primary handily, defeating state senator Bob Beers and Lieutenant Governor Lorraine Hunt. In the general election (described as "most contentious, ugly and negative in history"^[2]) he faced Democratic nominee Dina Titus, who is the Minority Leader in the Nevada State Senate. Gibbons received 278,984 votes to Titus' 255,675. Titus won Clark County, Nevada's most populous, but was beaten by Gibbons in every other county. Gibbons called Titus "an admirable opponent," although Titus declined to echo his sentiments, saying ""We disagree on basic policies, and neither one of us is going to change our minds for the other."^[3]

Gibbons resigned his House seat on New Year's Eve, and was sworn in as governor just after midnight on New Year's Day, a highly irregular event in Nevada history. Many believe Gibbons did this in order to undo a late term appointment to the position of Nevada's Gaming Control Board Chairman by his predecessor, Governor Kenny Guinn^[4]

[edit] Personal life

Gibbons has been married twice and has three children. He married his current wife, Dawn, in 1985; they have a son, born in 1987. Dawn Gibbons did not move to Washington to live with her husband during the 10 years he served in Congress, saying she preferred to raise their son in Nevada. On May 2, 2008, Gibbons filed for divorce,^[5][6] citing grounds of incompatibility stemming from an undisclosed event in Reno, and requesting the court to determine whether Gibbons or his wife would live at the Governor's Mansion.

Gibbons currently resides in Reno; his wife, Dawn, resides in the Governor's mansion in Carson City. An 1866 state law says a governor must "keep his office and reside at the seat of government." A spokesman for Gibbons described the move by the governor back to the couple's Reno home, which they have owned since 1989, as a temporary situation and said there was no law violation.^[7]

Divorce proceedings were stayed upon agreement of living separately pending the suit. Dawn accused Jim of "infatuation and involvement with the wife of a Reno doctor,” but he stated, she is just a friend. On March-April 2007, he sent 860 text messages ($ 130) in one month to the woman.^[8]

[edit] Gubernatorial Initiatives

[edit] Failed attempt at Mexican reimbursement

In August, 2007, Governor Gibbons attempted to obtain from the Mexican government expenses incurred by the state of Nevada for the health care of Mexican nationals^[9]

[edit] State Budget

In October, 2007, Gibbons proposed cutting funding for state services by 5% and ordered state agencies to submit lists of the services to be cut. Among the state agencies that were ordered to cut their budgets include the Nevada System of Higher Education, child welfare agencies and the juvenile justice agency.^[10] Gibbons expects an $80 million dollar cut to come directly from the Health and Human services agency alone.^[11] Most of these agencies refused to submit a revised budget to Governor Gibbons, citing already threadbare budgets.^[12]

On November 21, Gibbons revised his proposal upward for cutting state budgets. Nevada agencies are now told to plan for 8% cuts.^[13]

[edit] Popularity

[edit] Opinion polls

[edit] Scandals

[edit] Currently under investigation for bribery

On November 1, 2006, the Wall Street Journal published a story stating that Gibbons had earmarked several millions of dollars to a company owned by Warren Trepp, as well as added additional funds to a pre-existing government contract with Trepp's company. The report noted that Trepp had paid for a $10,000 cruise for Gibbons and his wife, which Gibbons failed to report, and $100,000 in campaign contributions. A former Trepp business partner claimed that Gibbons was also given gambling chips — convertible into cash — and cash directly.^[15][16][17]

On February 15, 2007, the Journal reported that Gibbons was under federal investigation for allegedly accepting unreported gifts and/or payments from Trepp in exchange for official acts while he served in Congress (1997–2007).^[18][19][20]

According to reports, on March 22, 2005, days before Trepp and his wife left for the Caribbean cruise with Gibbons and his family, Jalé Trepp, Warren’s wife, sent a reminder to her husband. It said, “Please don't forget to bring the money you promised Jim and Dawn (Gibbons).” Minutes later, Trepp responded, “Don't you ever send this kind of message to me! Erase this message from your computer right now!”^[21][22][23]

The U.S. Attorney for Nevada at time of the investigation was Daniel Bogden, who was one of seven federal prosecutors forced out of his job by the Bush administration in December 2006.^[24][25][26]

[edit] Alleged sexual assault

In October 2006, a woman accused Jim Gibbons of attempted sexual assault in a parking garage. Gibbons claimed he was helping her to her car. They both admitted to drinking alcohol at McCormick and Schmick's restaurant in Las Vegas.

In the initial aftermath of the event, Las Vegas Sheriff Bill Young, a long time supporter of Jim Gibbons and donor to his gubernatorial campaign, cited lack of evidence in the case and refused to bring evidence of the attack to the District Attorney. His accuser did not initially want to pursue pressing charges, saying she just wanted "to be left alone." But when the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department was forced to open the incident case file after inquiries by Las Vegas media, the Las Vegas Review Journal and the Las Vegas Sun released her name and the woman was thrust into the public eye. She later said she was being pressured to not talk to the police about the incident by people close to Jim Gibbons.^[27] In fact, the Gibbon's campaign hired a private investigator to "talk" to the woman shortly after the incident occurred.^[28]

Under pressure from the media and eventually the accuser, Sheriff Bill Young famously taunted the alleged victim to "bring it on" and sign a formal complaint. This is a highly irregular step as most victims of assault are not required to sign a complaint before an investigation can begin. Nevertheless, she signed the complaint and there was a further investigation. The evidence was given to the Las Vegas District Attorney, David Roger, who also donated to the Gibbons' Campaign. Charges were never filed in the case.^[29]

The Gibbon's gubernatorial campaign manager, Robert Uithoven, speculated in an e-mail to Gibbons' supporters that Dina Titus, Gibbons' opponent, hired the woman to entice Gibbons. Titus retorted that to do this she would have had to control where Gibbons went, who he was with, and even the weather (Gibbons claimed he was helping the woman to her car in part because of the weather).^[30]

[edit] Employing an undocumented housekeeper/nanny

In October 2006 as Gibbons was campaigning for governor, it was brought to light that he and his wife Dawn had employed Patricia Pastor Sandoval, a then-illegal immigrant from Peru, as a housekeeper and babysitter. Dawn, a state representative, denied the allegations, claiming that Sandoval had merely been a friend who had helped out around the house and was given clothing and household goods, but was not an employee. An employment contract from between Mrs. Gibbons and Sandoval, however, appeared to disprove that assertion as it clearly laid out the terms and conditions of Sandoval's hiring. Documents filed during Sandoval's 1988 application for working papers also contradicted earlier statements by Mrs. Gibbons that the family had not known that the woman was in the nation illegally.^[31]

Sandoval states that she was employed from roughly 1987 to 1993. She also states that she was asked to hide in the basement and refrain from answering doors at certain times in order to ensure that her illegal status did not become public knowledge and jeopardize Gibbons' political career. In 1995, Dawn Gibbons filed a police complaint against Sandoval, alleging that she was attempting to extort money by threatening to go to the media with a story involving her illegal employment. Jim and Dawn Gibbons, however, later decided not to pursue the matter.^[32]

In response to the revelations, Jim Gibbons' campaign issued a statement accusing Democratic candidate Dina Titus of fomenting the controversy to distract from the real issues of the race, but did not issue a denial of Sandoval's claims.^[33]

[edit] Plagiarism

A speech given in February 2005 by Rep. Gibbons in Elko, Nevada was actually plagiarized from a copyrighted speech delivered in 2003 by then Alabama State Auditor Beth Chapman at a "Stand up America" rally.^[34]

[edit] Interference with an ongoing investigation

On August 3, 2007, the Las Vegas Review Journal printed the following:

A newly available document states that Gov. Jim Gibbons "has admitted" that he urged federal authorities to pursue criminal action against a software developer whose business dispute with a friend of Gibbons has prompted a federal investigation. The statement is made in a legal motion filed last year, but kept secret until Tuesday, when it was unsealed at a judge's order.^[35]

[edit] Criticism and controversy

[edit] Undeclared donations to legal defense fund

Gibbons set up a legal defense fund just before the November, 2006 gubernatorial election to help pay for legal expenses incurred after a woman accused him of attempted sexual assault. Gibbons neither reported the legal defense fund to the appropriate U.S. House of Representatives committee (even though he was a sitting congressmen at the time and was required by House rules to do so), nor did he report donations to his legal defense fund as contributions to his gubernatorial campaign, citing the money was for "personal use" and not for "political purposes."^[36]

In January 2008, it was reported that Gibbons raised $256,000 for his legal defense fund, including a $61,000 personal loan Gibbons gave to his own fund, as well as $10,000 from The Palms hotel and casino, and $40,000 from various companies connected to Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chief Executive Sheldon Adelson.^[37] The defense fund has spent money to defend Gibbons in a cases that include:

• Investigations into the allegations that Gibbons secured defense contracts for his friend Warren Trepp in exchange for gifts and money
• The nepotism scandal regarding Sierra Nevada Corporation's hire of Nevada first lady Dawn Gibbons as a consultan (Sierra Nevada paid her $35,000 at the same time Gibbons helped the company get a no-bid federal contract.)
• Gibbons' alleged attempted sexual assault of a Las Vegas woman
• An investigation into payment due an illegal immigrant as a nanny that Gibbons employed^[38]

[edit] Land for mining industry donors

In November 2005, Gibbons and Representative Richard Pombo (R-CA) co-authored an amendment to the Federal Budget Reconciliation Bill easing restrictions of sale of federal lands to mining companies. This amendment attracted fire from environmentalists, anti-growth advocates, and even some Republican Senators^[39] concerned about the measure's effects on hunting and fishing. Although the bill (and amendment) narrowly passed the House, the stated opposition of many Democratic Senators and the concerns voiced by Republican Senators make the amendment's future uncertain.

[edit] Easing mercury standards for mining industry donors

Journalist Chris Mooney has criticized Gibbons for using rhetoric in place of sound science to base judgments, particularly in regard to a 2005 report Gibbons produced with Pombo that some saw as underplaying the effects of mercury poisoning.^[40]

[edit] Outlook password accident

On July 20, 2007, Declan McCullagh from CNET News.com reported that Gibbons accidentally revealed the password to his e-mail account, which was posted in a publicly available location on his Web site. The password was posted so that aides could send out weekly e-mail updates to Gibbons' constituents. Another file found on the Web site showed the number of subscribers to his mailing list. Other documents showed various telephone and fax numbers.^[41]

[edit] Beliefs and ideologies

[edit] Civil Liberties

• Rated 7% by the ACLU, indicating an anti-civil liberties voting record. (Dec 2002)
• Voted YES on making the PATRIOT Act permanent. (Dec 2005)^[42]

[edit] Education

On education as governor

In January of 2007, Governor Gibbons asked Nevada lawmakers to approve his budget that slightly cut the percentage of education funding in Nevada to increase the percentage for public safety and human services programs.^[43]

On education as a congressman (the following is taken directly from OnTheIssues.org)

• Rated 10% by the NEA, indicating anti-public education spending votes.
• Voted YES on allowing school prayer during the War on Terror.
• Voted YES on letting schools display the words "God Bless America".
• Supports a Constitutional Amendment for school prayer.^[44]

[edit] Foreign policy

• Voted NO on deterring foreign arms transfers to China. (Jul 2005)
• Voted YES on reforming the UN by restricting US funding. (Jun 2005)
• Voted NO on keeping Cuba travel ban until political prisoners released. (Jul 2001)
• Voted YES on withholding $244M in UN Back Payments until US seat restored. (May 2001)
• Voted NO on $156M to IMF for 3rd-world debt reduction. (Jul 2000)
• Voted NO on Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China. (May 2000)
• Voted NO on $15.2 billion for foreign operations. (Nov 1999)^[45]

[edit] Nuclear repository at Yucca Mountain

Jim Gibbons approved a plan to let the U.S. Department of Energy use the state's water to explore the planned Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site.^[46] According to the Las Vegas Sun, "Neither Gibbons nor his aides have offered public explanations for the governor’s perplexing moves. In particular, they have not explained how giving federal authorities more time to build a case for Yucca Mountain or appointing a Yucca advocate to the nuclear projects board could possibly be interpreted as being in line with the state’s opposition to the plan."^[47] Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) said "this amounts to surrendering in Nevada's decades-long fight against the project."^[48] Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV) said “This demonstrates to me that he either doesn’t know what he’s doing or he’s reversed his position.”^[49]

[edit] Taxes

As governor

Jim Gibbons pledged during his 1996 campaign for governor to not impose new taxes on businesses or individuals in Nevada.^[50] Businesses asked for tax increases to pay for new roads in Nevada, but Gibbons did not acquiesce.^[51]

In Congress

• Voted YES on replacing illegal export tax breaks with $140B in new breaks. (Jun 2004)
• Voted YES on Bankruptcy Overhaul requiring partial debt repayment. (Mar 2001)^[52]

[edit] Quotations

• "Tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, hippie, tie-dyed liberals [in Hollywood should]… go make their movies and their music and whine somewhere else…. It's just too damn bad we didn't buy them a ticket [to become human shields in Iraq]."^[53]

• "Anybody who is against that [corporate-funded inaugural bashes] obviously must be a communist."^[54]

• "Look at the movie 'Wag the Dog, I think [President Clinton's military actions on the day of scheduled impeachment hearings] has all the elements of that movie. Our reaction to the embassy bombings should be based on sound, credible evidence, not a knee-jerk reaction to try to direct public attention away from his (Bill Clinton's) personal problems."^[55]

• "... I learned an important lesson, never to offer a helping hand to anybody ever again", following the alleged assault involving Chrissy Mazzeo in October of 2006.^[56]

• "I would have loved to have been the committee chairman and when the choice was made to go with Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.), of course that disappointed me...but as my mother would say, when one door closes, another opens up",^[57] regarding Gibbons' non-selection for chair of the House Intelligence Committee, and the possibility that he could instead run for Governor.

[edit] Electoral history

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Jim Gibbons (United States politician)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Jim Gibbons (United States politician)

• Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons, official state site

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
• National Governors Association — Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons biography
• Follow the Money — Jim Gibbons 2006 campaign contributions

v • d • e Governors of Nevada Territorial Nye State Blasdel • Bradley • Kinkead • Adams • Stevenson • Bell • Colcord • Jones • Sadler • Sparks • Dickerson • Oddie • Boyle • Scrugham • Balzar • Griswold • Kirman • Carville • Pittman • Russell • Sawyer • Laxalt • O'Callaghan • List • Bryan • Miller • Guinn • Gibbons

v • d • e United States Representatives from Nevada Territorial (1861-1864): Cradlebaugh • Mott At-Large Seat (1864-1983): Worthington • Ashley • Fitch • Kendall • Woodburn • Wren • Daggett • Cassidy • Woodburn • Bartine • Newlands • Van Duzer • Bartlett • Roberts • Evans • Arentz • Richards • Arentz • Scrugham • Sullivan • Bunker • Russell • Baring • Young • Baring • Towell • Santini 1st District (1983-present): Reid • Bilbray • Ensign • Berkley 2nd District (1983-present): Vucanovich • Gibbons • Heller 3rd District (2003-present): Porter