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Welcome to the World Famous Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons Scandal Timeline! This on-going project follows the temporal unfolding of Jim Gibbons seemingly bottomless proclivity to scandal! Yay!
Scandals are color-coded for your viewing pleasure!
SNC = Sierra Nevada Corp
eT = eTreppid (sources, unless otherwise noted: WSJ and WSJ and Sun)
cm = Chrissy Mazzeo (Sources: RJ)
sf = "legal" defense slush fund
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1989
Jim Gibbons enters Nevada Assembly representing area including Sparks where SNC is located
1993
Jim Gibbons leaves the Assembly.
1995
SEC files civil securities-fraud claim against Warren Trepp for activities during his tenure at Michael Milken's Drexel firm. (Forbes)
1996
Jim Gibbons elected to Congress.
1999
Dawn enters Nevada Assembly representing area including Sparks where SNC is located.
SNC gets $12 million in a Pentagon spending bill for aircraft landing system for Marines. (MM)
SEC drops its case against Warren Trepp for shenanigans while working with Mike Milken although "the law judge found that Trepp violated the law, she dismissed this matter because she concluded that the only remedy available to the Commission, a cease-and-desist order, could not be imposed because the Division had not shown that Trepp was reasonably likely to violate the securities laws in the future." (NVToday)
2000
August 2000
Jim and Dawn Gibbons spend one week in Turkey with Fatih and Eren Ozmen, owners of SNC.. (AP,MM)
2003
Dawn declares she won't run for re-election in the Assembly.
Dawn opens Politek consulting firm.
Negotiations on helicopter radar contract for $2 million with Jim's help completed prior to Dawn being hired by SNC (so claims SNC spokesman in Sun)
March 22, 2005
In a March 22, 2005 email, Trepp's wife Jalé sent this to hubby just before that Caribbean cruise: "Please don't forget to bring the money you promised Jim and Dawn," referring to Mr. and Mrs. Gibbons. Trepp responds in minutes: "Don't you ever send this kind of message to me! Erase this message from your computer right now!" The WSJ points out that Gibbons never disclosed the cruise or travel on Trepp's jet as required by House rules.Sep. 23, 2003.
On Sep. 23, 2003, Gibbons sent an email to Trepp saying he was "greatly impressed" with Trepp's products and to show how accommodating he can be, Gibbons gave Trepp his private e-mail address as "a direct link to my desk and does not go through anyone else."Sep. 25, 2003
eT exec Len Glogauer says of Gibbons in an e-mail that "Jim really hit the ground running on that one." He adds, "we need to take care of him like we discussed."
2004
Dawn Gibbons gets $35,000 in consulting fees from SNC.
Dawn gets $93,000 from Jim Gibbons' campaign for the House, $18,000 for Jim's Education First ballot initiative campaign, $50,000 from the lobbyists over in R&R Partners, $4,000 from Supreme Court candidate James Hardesty.
Dawn discloses she receives more than $5,000 in campaign contributions from SNC for unsuccessful run for House. (Sun says she gets $14,000 total from SNC.)
Dawn meets with Jerry Bussell, then Nevada state homeland security boss, Frank Siracusa, state Division of Emergency Management chief, former Sheriff Jerry Keller, Ellen Knowlton, former Las Vegas FBI Special Agent to discuss SNC products. (JLS)Jan. 14, 2004
Warren Trepp sells stock to Tom Noe, a Bush fund-raiser from Ohio who has been convicted of 53 felony counts. (Sun, ColDis)
Jan. 20, 2004
Dawn Gibbons demonstrates products for SNC at Reno's Stead Airport.(RJ)March 10, 2004
Dawn Gibbons demonstrates "latest Communication Network System" for SNC at Jean Airfield (RJ) Event hosted by Faith and Eren Ozamen, SNC principals. (Ralston)June, 2004
Jim Gibbons circulates press release touting an earmark to pay eT $3 million for automatic target-recognition technology.June 24, 2004
Jim Gibbons circulates a press release touting SNC's new helicopter radar.December, 2004
Dawn Gibbons' final term in tin the Nevada State Assembly ends. (RJ) [Note: MM says early 2005]
2005
Dawn discloses receiving more than $5,000 in campaign contributions from SNC for unsuccessful House campaign.
March 2005
Jim and Dawn Gibbons take a criuse with the Trepps in the Bahamas. The Gibbons return to Nevada on a Boeing 727 paid by Warren Trepp. On the cruise Gibbons allegedly accepts a bag full of poker chips from Mr. Trepp, cavorts with non-spousal womenfolk, and wears funny hats. Dawn pays a little over $3,100 for what is estimated to be at least a $10,000 trip.Prior to the trip, Trepp's wife sends her husband an e-mail stating: "Please don't forget to bring the money you promised Jim and Dawn." Trepp replies: "Don't you ever send this kind of message to me! Erase this message from your computer right now!"
Gibbons never reports the trip as is required by House rules.
2006
Jim Gibbons helps SNC obtain a $2 million dollar contract to upgrade submarine radar. (Sun)
Jim Gibbons gets $29,500 from SNC for his run for Governor. Over his Congressional career, Jim receives $323,450 form SNC.
March 1, 2006
FBI raids the home of Dennis Montgomery, Warren Trepp's partner, looking for computers and hard drives which Trepp claimed contained classified documents. No classified documents were found, and all the hardware was returned to Montgomery.Oct. 19, 2006
4:20pm Chrissy Mazzeo meets Penny Puhek for dinner. Afterwards they attend an auction and a band playing nearby. (Sun)6pm Gibbons arrives at McCormick and Schmick's seafood restaurant for dinner and a drinky-poo with campaign manager Sig Rogich. (Sun)
8pm Gibbons and Siggy finish dinner. While leaving the restaurant, a rainstorm forces them back into the restaurant for more drinky-poos.
Sometime between 9pm and 10pm Gibbons and Siggy are joined by Penny Puhek and Chrissy Mazzeo, who have returned for coffee after watching a band.
2007
Jan 1 2007
Jim Gibbons is sworn in as Governor of Nevada. Twice.Feb 15 2007
Embarrassing emails from eTreppid come to light as well as court report about the FBI break in of Dennis Montgomery's home: "The court found that the local FBI and U.S. attorney's office had effectively acted as armed enforcers for eTreppid's wealthy owner in a private business dispute with a former partner." (VGO, WSJ)March 06 2007
The existence of a quasi-legal fund created by Gibbons to pay for lawyers hired for various scandals comes to light. The fund very likely violated House Ethics Rules. (VGO, VGO)March 07 2007
Reports of discussions among Nevada legislators about a recall of Gibbons appear. Dennis Montgomery files a new suit against eTreppid suggesting that Gibbons helped the company obtain a $100 million government contract from the Special Operations Command in Tampa, Florida. (VGO)
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