Sex charges hit candidate

last updated 8 January 2015

Las Vegas

A woman last week accused Rep. Jim Gibbons (R-Nev.) of sexually assaulting her after a night of drinking. Gibbons, the front-runner in the race for Nevada governor, denies any wrongdoing. The incident began at a Las Vegas steakhouse where Gibbons and his campaign manager were drinking and buying rounds for other patrons, including Chrissy Mazzeo, 32. After leaving the bar, Gibbons walked with Mazzeo to a nearby garage where her truck was parked. Mazzeo says Gibbons then pushed her against a wall and made a sexual advance. Gibbons says he merely grabbed Mazzeo’s arm after she stumbled. Mazzeo made three 911 calls to report the alleged assault, but police say she later retracted her story. Mazzeo denies recanting, but says she does not want to press charges against Gibbons, “mainly because of who he is.” The incident taught him “an important lesson,” Gibbons said—“never to offer a helping hand to anybody ever again.”