After all, the kind of political corruption trial we got was the exact kind you'd expect: County Commissioners took bribes from a strip club owner in exchange for favorable votes.
When this first broke, I shrugged. The Commissioners that got tagged were absolutely no surprise. You'd heard, "under the radar" of course, of all types of shady dealings. So Federal charges were just the inevitable stop in their illustrious political careers.
Daily, as the trial wore on, I'd read the juicy headlines. My favorite so far was "Dario Never Paid," in reference to the comped drinks, lap dances and who knows what else he got on his frequent visits to Galardi clubs.
Until now. What I thought couldn't get any crappier just did.
PUBLIC CORRUPTION CASE: Galardi names more officials
Ex-strip club owner says former commissioner provided sex
Former strip club owner Michael Galardi rattled off a list of public officials Monday to whom he said he made cash payments and confirmed that he had several sexual encounters with former Clark County Commissioner Erin Kenny.
Galardi stunned the courtroom when he testified that Kenny performed oral sex on him about six times during the time she served on the County Commission and took cash bribes to lobby for legislation beneficial to his topless club empire.
"Oh, for heaven's sake," a woman in the federal courtroom audience muttered after Galardi's admission.
My sentiments exactly, lady. Ew. Just ew.
It's disgusting enough that Galardi shelled out hundreds of thousands of dollars to public officials (whether in cash bribes or "services rendered"). But this, somehow, made the whole horrid affair just a little shittier.
Just to let you know, Kenny is a government witness. She got in a room with the FBI and started singing.
But now, I'm thinking of a local political cartoon I saw when Erin Kenny's deal first made the papers. In it, she was seen in silhouette behind a glass "FBI" door. And she was on her knees.
I'm sure the artist knew even then what she was all about.
Nevada politics is a dirty little business, made even dirtier by those who have the cash and the power. When those who deal in vice are the ones lobbying the officials, it's only a matter of time before our public buildings become cesspools.
I'm not surprised. Not at all. But I do feel a little dirtier.
Ew. Just frickin' ew.
4 comments:
I remember when this first broke. It was the first use of the Patriot Act against non-terrorists. Ewww.
Made me say "See, I told you so."
I love that part . . . that the Patriot Act led to this shitstorm.
Yeah, "don't worry about giving us all this power, we won't misuse it. Trust us, we're the government." Riiiiiiiiiiiight. I know these people were shitbags and needed to be stopped, but do the ends justify the means?
I also love the article I read in the paper the other day about the "lawyers' luncheons" he held at the clubs. PD's, DA's, whoever. Free food, booze, "etc." ;) Good strategy, especially in a town this corrupt. Can't say I blame him.
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