While on a trip from the U.S. to Malaysia, I sat by a construction project manager. The flight is long, and we began chatting about work. When I could tell a rapport was developing, I asked one of my favorite questions: what is the worst project which you’ve been on – the project from hell?  He took a deep breath and said,” a hospital built in Taiwan.” It turned out that Taiwan has much more corruption than I knew. The project manager was told he  HAD to buy windows from a certain vendor – even if those windows did not meet the specifications (safety, noise reduction and other specs). He was “given an offer he couldn’t refuse”. But he did not give in. Without revealing exactly what he did, the end result was that he did not use that vendor and did use windows that met the original specifications. Lessons learned: he has made it a point to never again work on a project in Taiwan.

Taiwan has other corruption: vote buying.  In one case, golf fees were paid for voters. When rumors surfaced that the Incline Village General Improvement District was paying the golf fees for certain residents, $46 for first time and $36 for renewing their annual membership,  I thought it strange. Until I remembered Taiwan.

From 2016-April 2022, over $32,000 was spent paying golf fees (personal expenses) for local residents, most of whom were property owners.  Shown below is the June 1, 2019 IVGID invoice from the Northern California Golf Association for 2019, and links to other invoices during the year.

Invoice links:     1    2     3    4    5    6

Vote buying is a federal crime if federal offices are on the ballot (President, etc) e.g. 2020 election year:  18 U.S.C. Section 59.  So the golf fees expenditures paid to the Northern California Golf Association for residents are certainly suspicious.

Why would IVGID be paying these fees, anyway? There certainly is no public purpose. At least 71 of the fees paid in 2019 were for registered voters of Incline Village.

 

The invoices clearly show the names of the individuals whose golf fees were paid.

A resident questioned the expenses in 2020, and General Manager Indra Winquest stated in an email (below) he would “verify”. The Board of Trustees was copied on the email. Winquest never followed up with the resident.  IVGID’s records indicate the golf fees were still paid in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

No evidence has been produced showing that the payments by IVGID were reimbursed by the golfers, even though evidence was requested by a resident (email below). The FY2020 and FY2021 General Ledgers shows  the payments were made using “Contractual Services” expense account, rather than a receivables account that would be reconciled. There is no evidence of reimbursement or payment in advance of these fees in either the FY2020 or FY2021 General Ledger.

Even if each golfer reimbursed IVGID, he/she is getting a discount on the NCGA rate charged for an “online membership”: $79.  IVGID is only paying $36 ($46 first year – 2019 prices). But there is overhead cost in IVGID paying these fees; and should the local government be doing this?  

There is “value” being given by IVGID to each golfer, regardless of reimbursement.  But what is IVGID getting from this?

Is this vote-buying? Is this unfair to property owners who do not have their Recreation Fee reduced by $36 each year?  Why did the General Manager say he would “verify” – and then do nothing? Why did the Trustees do nothing?

The evidence indicates there is a misappropriation of public funds of over $32,000. That is a potential felony under NRS 204.020.  And with no public purpose, the evidence points to potential vote buying, a federal felony under 18 U.S.C. Section 597.

The Nevada Secretary of State, Barbara Cegavske, has refused to investigate voter fraud where voters registered from vacant lots or commercial buildings in Incline Village, and voted in 2020. She also refused to investigate voters who registered using an Incline address and voted in 2020, when they owned a home in Reno which they had declared as their primary residence to obtain the 3% tax cap. She refused to investigate a case where a voter registered using the the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District building on Oriole Way – and voted. So to expect her to investigate this matter would be foolish.

But will the Federal government investigate?

[Updated Sept 14, 2022]

At the Shakespeare Festival at Sand Harbor, multiple residents saw the current Chair of the Board Tim Callicrate and Trustee candidate Gail Krolick have a conversation with golf club members. Callicrate told them they should not vote for candidate Ray Tulloch, as he would raise golf rates at the Championship Golf course and fire Indra Winquest, the  IVGID General Manager. He told them to tell other golfers as well.  Residents told Ray Tulloch, who sent out this email dated Aug 29, 2022.  

“I greatly appreciate all the support and assistance you have provided to date that enabled me to come a close second in the Primary election. I have no doubt however that as General Election season moves into full swing, we will start to see more of the negative campaigning and mud-throwing that has started to surface.  I am sure that several of you have heard the untruths being spread about my plans by another candidate.  The latest appear to be that  “Ray will fire Indra”  and “Ray is going to increase golf rates”.    These are both demonstrably false, have  absolutely no basis in fact and there is nothing in the record to support them. I have publicly rebutted these rumors at the IV/CB Community Forum (see here https://ivcbcommunity1st.org/community-forum/iv-cb-community-forum-minutes-19/) and will make a similar statement at the next Board meeting. [In a community meeting on Aug 19, 2022, Tulloch had stated negative campaigning was being done against him.]

“It is disappointing that another campaign would feel it necessary to stoop to tactics such as this.  Regardless, I will continue to run a civil, honest and positive campaign, based on facts, in the same way as I have to date.  And I will restate my commitment to listening to and taking input from ALL the community, not just special interest groups.  I sincerely believe that is something our Community has the right to expect from every Trustee and candidate.”

This is the type of activity that has occurred in presidential election years.   Since IVGID has made expenditures for years to pay the golf fees for certain residents and property owners, when coupled with employee(s) of IVGID influencing voters, isn’t this a violation of federal law which prohibits vote buying? [18 U.S.C. Section 597]

 

Email from Indra Winquest to a resident regarding payment of fees for private membership in a golf club using public funds: