Governor says truth coming out
CARSON CITY — Gov. Jim Gibbons said Tuesday the “truth is starting to come out” about allegations by a Reno software developer accusing him of improperly steering millions in military contracts to a Reno-based company.
Gibbons said he has no direct connection to the federal lawsuit, filed by software developer Dennis Montgomery against eTreppid, a company that Gibbons helped secure federal defense contracts. Montgomery is suing eTreppid for copyright infringement and has leveled accusations at Gibbons, including that he accepted a briefcase with $100,000 from eTreppid founder Warren Trepp.
“I know that the truth is going to ultimately come out, and it appears as if it is starting to come out,” Gibbons said.
A recent filing by eTreppid attorneys that claims at least one of the e-mails Montgomery was using as the basis for his allegations was fabricated, “is encouraging to me,” Gibbons said.
On Monday, two high-profile attorneys representing Montgomery asked to withdraw from the case. The request came about two weeks after a computer expert alleged in court papers that Montgomery fabricated the e-mail message showing that Gibbons was being paid off by eTreppid.
The e-mail in question was sent from eTreppid Vice President Len Glogauer to the company’s founder Warren Trepp in 2003 and said, “We need to take care of him like we discussed.” A computer expert, however, said the e-mail message was altered by Montgomery to include that line, according to previously filed court papers.
Gibbons said the law requires that if an attorney has information about the conduct of a client that makes it impossible to represent the client, then the attorney must withdraw.
Asked if he knew what conduct might be at issue, Gibbons said he did not.
“I’m not going to speculate,” he said. “I think that is up to Mr. Montgomery and his attorneys.”
Gibbons said he isn’t overjoyed at the developments because, “I think it is an unfortunate set of circumstances to begin with. I have no understanding nor have I ever talked to Mr. Montgomery why he made those claims.”
Gibbons said his attorneys are working cooperatively with the FBI by providing any information that may be relevant to Montgomery’s claims. But Gibbons said he has never personally been contacted by the agency.
“Our attorneys actually went positively forward and are working to give them information before they ever ask for anything,” he said. “But I’ve never even received a phone call from them. I’ve never received a letter, I’ve never received a subpoena, no one has stood on my doorstep, knocked on my door and said ‘we want to talk to you.’
“Who knows, that may happen at some point, but they haven’t done it yet,” Gibbons said. “I have no idea what to make of that. We’re trying to be good citizens. We will comply in anything they ask for.”
Gibbons said his attorneys have staff in Nevada looking for any relevant information in his possession that could be turned over to the FBI.
“We’re here to do whatever we have to do to clear this up,” he said.
