ShareThisBy JEFF GERMAN
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Saying the "credibility of the whole case is shot," Nevada's defeated Democratic gubernatorial candidate is calling for an independent investigation into allegations that GOP Gov.-elect Jim Gibbons assaulted a woman and tried to force himself on her sexually.
"If ever there was a case where you could make a call for an independent investigator, this would certainly be one," state Sen. Dina Titus told the Sun. "I think people see it that way, too, just from the average man on the street."
The fact that Gibbons and his campaign consultant, Sig Rogich, are "so closely connected" with Sheriff Bill Young, Titus said, dictates in favor of bringing in an outside investigator so that there would be no question about the impartiality of the probe. Rogich also is a political adviser to Young.
"I'm not saying they've done anything wrong, but to give the case any credibility, that would be the way to do it," Titus said.
Titus, who shied away from discussing the investigation in the closing weeks of the governor's race, said she felt sympathy for the alleged victim, Chrissy Mazzeo, a 32-year-old single mother and cocktail waitress.
"I've always been a strong advocate for victims of domestic violence and rape," Titus said. "But certainly women are reluctant to come forward in cases like this because they get smeared. Just like this woman.
"They talked about her bankruptcy. What does that have to do with this case? When they hire two private investigators to dig up stuff on this woman, what does that tell you? If they didn't do anything wrong, why hire these people?"
Young, a Republican who has taken the brunt of the criticism over the way the Metro Police Department has handled the high-profile investigation, sharply responded to Titus late Thursday. "That (shows) the partisanship of some of the combatants who involved themselves in this case," Young said. "This is Metro's responsibility, and we're not going to shirk our duties and responsibilities."
The detectives investigating the case, Young said, are "honest, decent cops who are going out there without any political bent one way or the other."
"I resent the implication that somehow I have tried to steer this investigation into some direction other than the truth and the facts of the case."
