MUTH’S TRUTHS

A Las Vegas florist has filed an ethics complaint against Republican Assemblywoman Francis Allen of Las Vegas after Allen stiffed her for some $5,000 worth of flowers for her wedding last month. The text of the complaint is as follows…

This complaint requests an opinion from Nevada Commission On Ethics regarding the conduct of Assemblywoman Francis Allen and whether she has breached several or all sections of NRS 281A.020, NRS281A.400, and NRS 281A.660. Specifically, this complaint details how Assemblywoman Allen may have used her position to curry favors and gifts from select businesses, breached public trust by seeking unwarranted gifts and privileges, punished those businesses when they fell out of her favor by publicly debasing them, did not avoid conflicts of interest between her private life and serving the public, did not enhance the people’s faith in the integrity and impartiality of public officers, and did not demonstrate the appropriate separation between the roles of persons who are both public servants and private citizens.

It’s always challenging when someone chooses to not pay the $5,377.40 balance for $7,877.40 worth of floral arrangements. It’s even more challenging when they send a check as if they were satisfied with the arrangements, only to find out the check for payment in full has been cancelled.

Such instances are very damaging to businesses, especially when the relationship between a florist and a bride is built upon the trust to make her day remarkably special. It’s damaging because not only do the businesses lose out on the purchase of the materials, time, effort, and vendors, but they also lose the ability to work on any other event, ceremony, for a customer who would not have abused them so freely.

It’s even worse when the elected official’s highly visible and public status prohibits the business from pursuing an appropriate course of action for fear of retribution and retaliation, especially under the knowledge that the public official expected the entire invoice to be waived as a privilege of serving someone in public office.

My name is Cynthia Calhoun, owner of Carabisio’s Flowers & Gifts, and these were the circumstances revolving around my company’s engagement in a contractual agreement to provide the floral decor for the wedding of Assemblywoman Francis Allen (now Maneri) that was held at Floyd Lamb State Park.

During one of our initial meetings at a local Starbucks on January 27, 2008, with Assemblywoman Allen;; my sister Dawn Calhoun; a business associate, Holly Peters, who had an interest in perhaps providing catering for the wedding; and Assemblywoman Allen’s Aunt Erin; Assemblywoman Francis Allen began discussing whether or not to include alcohol with the catering.

Assemblywoman Allen said she could get Lee’s Discount Liquor to “donate the alcohol” for the wedding since “she knows him very well,” alluding to the fact that her rank and position would make such a gift easily obtainable. It put my sister at unease because the discussion also implied that maybe we too might offer our services as a gift.

But Assemblywoman Francis Allen’s aunt shunned her comment, saying “Francis! You can’t say that! It’s a contribution.”

All fell silent, until Holly Peters smiled and said, “Don’t you mean gift?”

Assemblywoman Allen then said, “Yeah, whatever,” and tried to change the subject. However, the conversation then turned to a discussion of whether or not Assemblywoman Allen would need a liquor license to dispense the donated alcohol. Assemblywoman Allen insisted she did not need one.

My sister and I frequently discussed this conversation later, going back and forth several times on whether or not Assemblywoman Allen was abusing her public position by having her wedding coordinator solicit gifts from businesses. We wondered whether the discussion was for our benefit, an indication that perhaps we too were expected to provide “gifts” of flowers and services for the privilege of being associated with the esteemed assemblywoman’s wedding. We may very well have, reluctantly so out of intimidation, had it not been for the concern raised by Assemblywoman Allen’s aunt.

While we have no evidence that Lee’s Discount Liquor did indeed donate the abundance of alcohol served at the wedding, which was held on March 29, 2008, it seemed to be common knowledge that the business did so. Likewise, it was unclear whether Assemblywoman Allen pursued a permit to serve this alcohol from a bar that opened at Floyd Lamb State Park, which is owned by the City of Las Vegas. Nor it is clear whether or not Assemblywoman Allen charged her guests for the alcohol they ordered.

For our company’s services, we elected to charge Assemblywoman Allen the same amount we would charge any private citizen. During the set up, we were frequently complimented by the other vendors, including the cake designer and the wedding coordinator, Michelle Peterson, for our generosity in providing a few free floral arrangements that we always provide our brides. What we did not know was that our generosity was supposed to include the entire $5,377.40 balance of $7,877.40 worth of floral arrangements.

After submitting our invoice balance of $5,377.40 to Assemblywoman Allen, it seemed to have been received with some surprise. However, we received a check to pay the balance in full, which is generally considered a good faith gesture that the arrangements were accepted and appreciated. Much to our surprise, the check was canceled and the funds denied. Suddenly, Assemblywoman Allen took exception to our work, with our understanding given the circumstances outlined above, that she never intended for us to deposit the check.

Recently, Assemblywoman Allen’s wedding coordinator and supposed “best friend” Michelle Peterson has begun to solicit Web sites and report negative comments about our business.

Since, Assemblywoman Allen has used her position to publicly attack the reputation of our business, accusing us of performing lackluster work (see attached article from the Las Vegas Review-Journal, printed April 18, 2008) and now suggesting that we know full well why she would suggest gifts, compliment our generosity, accept an invoice, pay an invoice, but then cancel the check under the guise of “dissatisfaction.” Had Assemblywoman Allen not continued to make an assault against us for failure to oblige her with a gift as Lee’s Discount Liquor or others might have done, we may have also been intimidated.

However, my sister, Dawn Calhoun, urged me that I should be outraged as a taxpayer and citizen that any elected official would seemingly violate public trust and so abuse her position of power, rank, and privilege. And to that end, I have no choice but to seek your opinion.

Posted on April 26th, 2008 by Chuck Muth
Filed under: Nevada