Las Vegas, NV – In a stark reminder of what happens when elected officials wield power without accountability, Clark County commissioners are set to vote Tuesday on a $375,000 settlement to three brave employees who endured a toxic workplace under former Public Administrator Robert Telles. This case exposes the dangers of unchecked government insiders who bully, retaliate, and prioritize personal agendas over public service and the rule of law.
Telles, a Democrat elected in 2018, took office in January 2019 and quickly turned the Clark County Public Administrator’s office – responsible for handling estates and probate matters – into his personal fiefdom. Employees reported a hostile work environment marked by bullying, age and religious discrimination, and inappropriate advances toward female staff. Complaints began surfacing as early as August 2020, yet county leaders dragged their feet. Investigative reporter Jeff German of the Las Vegas Review-Journal broke the story in May 2022, shining a light on the chaos, including Telles’ alleged affair with a subordinate.
German’s fearless reporting helped spark a backlash. Telles lost his primary re-election bid that same month to Rita Reid, who ran out of what she described as “desperation” to remove him from power. Undeterred by democratic rejection, Telles allegedly took matters further. In September 2022, German was brutally stabbed to death outside his home. Telles was arrested days later, with his DNA found under the victim’s fingernails. In August 2024, a jury convicted him of first-degree murder. He now sits behind bars serving 28 years to life – a fitting end for a man who turned public office into a weapon against those who dared speak out.
While Telles faces justice for silencing a journalist, the women who worked under him continue paying the price for the county’s failures. In May 2024, Jessica Coleman, Aleisha Goodwin, Noraine Pagdanganan, and Rita Reid filed a federal lawsuit against Clark County. They alleged the county ignored repeated complaints, failed to investigate properly, and left them vulnerable to Telles’ retaliation. The county’s initial $100,000 offer was rightly called “disrespectful.” After years of legal wrangling – and one plaintiff accepting a smaller $10,000 judgment – the county now proposes $375,000: $90,000 to Coleman, $240,000 to Goodwin, and $45,000 to Reid. All three women still work in the office, a testament to their resilience.
Attorney Taylor Jorgensen called the deal “more like justice,” allowing the women to move forward while honoring German’s legacy. Reid, now serving as Public Administrator herself and planning to retire at term’s end, noted that no amount of money can fully compensate for what they endured or the county’s inaction. But the lawsuit sent a clear message: public employees deserve to be heard and protected, not sacrificed to shield politically connected abusers.
This settlement, paid with hard-earned taxpayer dollars, underscores a painful truth for conservatives who value limited government and personal responsibility. When officials in positions of trust abuse that power – whether through workplace tyranny, retaliation against whistleblowers, or worse – it erodes faith in our institutions. Clark County’s slow response enabled the problem, costing families money and forcing good people through unnecessary trauma. Telles’ story is a cautionary tale: power without moral grounding and accountability leads to destruction, not leadership.
As Clark County commissioners prepare to vote, Nevadans should demand better. True justice means protecting the vulnerable, holding the powerful accountable, and ensuring our local governments serve the people – not the other way around. America remains the world’s beacon of liberty precisely because we reject the kind of authoritarian bullying Telles embodied. Let this case reinforce our commitment to constitutional principles, transparent governance, and the God-given dignity of every worker.
#TheNevadaConservative #TNC #TNVCNews #Local
About the Author
