Another temporary protective order has been filed against Washoe County Assessor Mike Clark. This comes in the wake of a judge extending on June 30 Washoe County’s protective order against Clark for a year.
Clark spent more than $1,000 trying to mail more than 150 packages with false return addresses. Those packages contained an anonymously written screed slamming local elected officials and with the promise of “more to come.”
“The court finds not only were these acts more than reckless, they were intentional,” Judge Richard Glasson ruled in the case. He further said Clark’s actions were “objectifying of a county employee, sexualization of a county employee, fetishistic [and] inappropriate. The content was altogether creepy and disturbing.”
One of those employees, Assistant County Manager Kate Thomas, filed a new TPO against Clark last week requesting that his TPO filed by Washoe County also be extended to her residence.
The mailed 62-page document comprised selective public records implying widespread wrongdoing by county officials, including Thomas.
She described being fearful, traumatized and harassed by the mailings during the June 30 hearing about the TPO extension. A Washoe County sheriff’s deputy was even proposed to be assigned to monitor her residence, something she said she declined.
Clark is also facing an investigation by the Nevada Attorney General. A Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) sergeant said they turned over the case to the AG’s office in order to avoid a conflict of interest among county officials.
Clark’s attorney last week filed notice that Clark will be appealing the year extension on the TPO.
County seeks legal fees from Clark
The County’s hired attorney, Brian Brown, also last week filed a motion to award attorney’s fees. Brown asked the court for $12,450.
“As the court is aware, this matter presented an issue of workplace harassment that was
enormous in scope,” Brown wrote. “Mr. Clark mailed out over 160 individual packets of documents totaling over 11,000 pages to individuals throughout Washoe County and other locations in Nevada and even outside of Nevada. Mr. Clark not only undertook this action, he took extreme actions to not only conceal his identity, but to falsely attribute the mailings to an innocent third-party.
“In order to properly investigate, prepare for and present the matter to hearing, the undersigned expended 41.5 hours of work,” he added. “Washoe County won on every issue presented and was granted every item of relief that was requested.”
