Las Vegas, Nevada
September 9, 2024
In a recent review of documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, a startling revelation has come to light regarding the ongoing legal entanglements of Victoria Seaman, a Las Vegas City Council member. Legal experts have meticulously combed through a 133-page PDF released by the City of Las Vegas in response to Louis Colagiovanni’s FOIA request. Surprisingly, only six pages contained pertinent information—the rest were repetitive filler.
Now attached for public scrutiny, these six critical documents shed light on a potential cover-up that Seaman and her legal team orchestrated.
The correspondence begins on July 31, 2024, when Jeff Dorocak, the Chief Legal Officer for the City of Las Vegas, emails Christian Morris, Seaman’s attorney. Dorocak informs Morris that the city has received a request for the settlement agreement related to Seaman’s personal injury case against the city.
The requester, investigative reporter Louis Colagiovanni, had requested this and other documents related to the case.
Dorocak stated:
“The City is again in receipt of a request related to your client’s personal injury action against the City. The requester is Louis Colagiovanni. In a direct exchange with our office, Mr. Colagiovanni confirmed he is requesting, amongst other documents from the City, a copy of the subject settlement agreement.
As a result, we must provide the requested document to the requestor. We will release the document following Monday with redactions made to (1) the co-defendants’ names and settlement amounts when connected solely to the co-defendant and (2) the global settlement amount to protect the co-defendants’ privacy and confidentiality.”
What stands out here is the clear intent to conceal that each defendant, including Las Vegas Paving, Tab Contractors, and Superior Traffic Services, paid $100,000 to settle the Seaman case. These companies have ongoing business with the city, and Seaman has voted on their contracts—a potential ethical violation.
The following day, August 1, 2024, at 12:34 PM PST, Tori Allen, another attorney representing Seaman, responded with a pointed request:
“Jeff, I just spoke to Ms. Seaman and wanted to confirm a few things she said she spoke with you about. Please confirm that you will not disclose the redacted release or any other documentation on Monday if we get an application for a temporary protective order/motion for prelim injunction on file before then.
Additionally, please confirm that if you disclose the release, you agree to provide a cover letter stating that, despite the release’s language saying the city would be responsible for paying part of the settlement, the city made no disbursements.
This response from Seaman’s legal team attempts to spin the narrative, arguing that the settlement documents should not be disclosed because Colagiovanni is supposedly connected to Michele Fiore, another political figure. This reasoning is absurd and irrelevant. The public’s right to know about the $100,000 settlement outweighs any alleged political connections.
At 12:58 PM on the same day, City Attorney Dorocak responded swiftly, indicating that the city would withhold the redacted settlement agreement if a restraining order were filed on behalf of Seaman. However, Dorocak expressed skepticism that such an order would be granted, implying that Seaman’s privacy would not be compromised.
Despite this, the city agreed to redact the document at Seaman’s request. Dorocak reminded Seaman’s attorney of the settlement’s total amount:
The combined amount of the settlement made on behalf of the city and the party indemnifying the municipality to resolve claims against the city and the party indemnifying the municipality to resolve allegations made against the city and those made directly against the other defendant was $100,000.”
These email exchanges reveal a coordinated effort to cover up the settlement.
Here’s what we know:
1. The $100,000 Settlement: It has been confirmed that $100,000 was paid to settle the Seaman case. All defendants, including the City of Las Vegas, contributed this amount.
2. Ethical Violations: The defendants who settled—Las Vegas Paving, Tab Contractors, and Superior Traffic Services—do business with the city, where Seaman votes on their contracts. This raises serious ethical concerns.
3. Obstruction of Transparency: Seaman actively obstructed the city’s attempts to disclose public documents, clearly violating the public’s right to know.
4. Concealment of City Involvement: Although the settlement agreement states that the city would be responsible for part of the payment, the city created a structure to ensure no direct payment was made to the Seamans. This cover-up is designed to hide the city’s involvement.
5. Illegal Concealment: The city likely reimbursed the other defendants who initially paid the settlement, creating a mechanism to conceal the city’s payment from public scrutiny. This could be an illegal act to protect Seaman’s political interests.
6. City’s Reluctance: Despite the city’s desire to disclose the documents, Seaman’s demands and legal threats have wasted the city’s resources, involving three city attorneys in this cover-up.
In conclusion, these revelations expose a significant effort by Victoria Seaman and her legal team to conceal a $100,000 settlement from the public. The public deserves transparency, and the city must resist Seaman’s attempts to block the release of these documents.
This cover-up undermines public trust and raises serious ethical and legal questions about Seaman’s conduct and suitability for public office. The people of Las Vegas deserve answers, and it is time for full disclosure.
