Henderson mayor accuses councilwoman of spreading affair rumors
Henderson Mayor Michelle Romero has threatened legal action against Carrie Cox claiming the councilwoman had been spreading “spurious rumors” about a purported extramarital affair.
A “cease and desist” letter from Romero’s attorney Monday denied any affair and accused Cox of making false and defamatory statements about her. It said the mayor will “pursue all remedies” if Cox doesn’t retract statements Romero alleges she made.
Cox replied through an attorney Wednesday in a letter that said she “vehemently denies” defaming the mayor and that Romero’s demand for a retraction cannot be responded to meaningfully because it lacked any specific statements Cox allegedly made or any credible sources of the allegedly defamatory information.
“Simply put, without knowing what was specifically said, when it was said and to whom the statements were made, my client has no way of addressing the allegations of your client,” the letter said.
According to a copy of the mayor’s cease and desist letter obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, reports of the rumors Romero accused Cox of spreading came from “multiple reliable sources” who, while not named, allegedly called Cox’s statements about Romero “malicious” and “disturbing.”
The letter said that some of these alleged conversations took place at dinners of the Southern Hills Republican Women organization, a group whose mission statement is to support and advance the Republican Party. The organization is hosting Romero for a luncheon on Tuesday, according to their website.
Romero’s attorney, Jordan T. Smith, wrote that Cox knew her alleged statements about the affair were false and that the “only plausible purpose” in making them was to “intentionally inflict injury on the Mayor.”
“As an elected official, you should know better,” the cease and desist said.
Cox’s attorney, Brian R. Hardy, said in response that Cox was prepared to mount a “vigorous defense of her First Amendment rights,” including, if necessary, investigating whether or not Romero was having an extramarital affair.
In a statement Tuesday, Cox said “it is unfortunate that the mayor appears to have nothing better to do than to target me simply because I stand for the best interest of the residents, first responders, and businesses of Henderson.
“I’ve always been unwavering in my commitment to the citizens of Henderson, their quality of life, and transparency. Sometimes that means I have to stand alone. However, I will not be bullied by those who seek power and control rather than understand what it means to be a public servant,” Cox continued.
Romero said in a statement Wednesday the she would not tolerate untruths.
“I believe families are sacred, my husband and I have worked hard to build a strong and solid foundation not only for us, but for our children and grandchildren,” Romero said. “It is unfortunate I had to resort to legal action to protect mine.”
Contact Estelle Atkinson at eatkinson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @estelleatkinson.bsky.social on Bluesky and @estellelilym on X. Review-Journal Reporter Katie Futterman contributed to this report.