Deputy county manager who oversaw Telles, other embattled officials retires

Jeff Wells consults with the Review-Journal editorial board in 2015. (Las Vegas Review-Journal).
Embattled Deputy County Manager Jeff Wells sent a letter Monday revealing his retirement from Clark County, promoting his achievements but also confessing mistakes.

Wells has been on paid administrative leave considering that January after he intervened in his kid's discipline, according to Wells and an e-mail from County Manager Kevin Schiller.

Wells formerly informed the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he had notified Schiller in December that he planned to retire in April. The long email he sent out Monday notes his accomplishments over 16 years, including developing the office of appointed counsel and diversion programs for struggling youth, together with his work reacting to the Great Recession and COVID-19.

However departments Wells supervise have actually had repeated issues - - lots of exposed by Review-Journal examinations - - raising concerns about his management.

" Like everyone, I've made a few errors over the last 16 years (although probably not almost as many as the media has blamed me for!)," he wrote in the email to county authorities provided by a source to the Review-Journal. "I leave county government knowing that the County has had my full energy and total commitment for these several years. I feel pleased with what we were able to achieve. If I fell short at any point, it was never ever for the lack of trying or an objection to handle difficulties.".

Wells, his kid and county staff could not immediately be reached for talk about Monday.

History of problems.

The most recent problem capped around January, when Wells yielded that he called a county lawyer about the discipline the county enforced versus his kid, Tom, who was worked with in 2012 by the public protector's office that Jeff Wells was then managing. No info was launched about the nature of Tom Wells' discipline, and he left county work Feb. 21.

" I had no discussions with anyone prior to the issuance of this discipline," Jeff Wells composed to the Review-Journal in response to an ask for remark for a March 9 story. "One week later I asked the County Attorney if I could consult with her about the case, she concurred and we had a short discussion in her office. … … Subsequently, other members of senior management identified that this conversation needs to not have actually occurred.".

County spokesperson Jennifer Cooper decreased to comment for the March story and subsequent ask for info about Wells.

It "would be improper at this time for Clark County to go over the issues you are raising," she composed. "We wish to be able to have discussions with you at some point.".

The county has not reacted to an open records demand submitted recently requesting for any payments, such as severance or settlement for unused holiday or sick leave, provided to Wells.

Wells managed a minimum of four departments that had significant corruption or other issues that were exposed by Review-Journal investigations.

In 2018, accusations emerged that Jeff Wells was protecting then-Public Defender Phil Kohn, who hired Tom Wells, from sexual harassment claims. The county determined the claims were not corroborated.

Kohn informed the Review-Journal in February that he was not accused of harassment, but county officials in 2018 disputed that. He likewise stated he did not feel pressure to employ Tom Wells, regardless of Jeff Wells being his manager.

That very same year, the Review-Journal discovered that then-Henderson Constable Earl Mitchell was utilizing county funds to travel and gamble to see loved ones. Jeff Wells manage Mitchell and at first defended his spending. Mitchell was prosecuted after the story and pleaded guilty to a gross misdemeanor, repaying more than $80,000 he took.

The county coroner's office was under Wells for much of the time that then-Coroner John Fudenberg was giving paid speeches on county time while touting fake degrees, failing to handle sexual harassment and accreditation concerns in the office and squandering trip that he had actually taken, a series of Review-Journal investigations found. Wells told the Review-Journal he was not familiar with a lot of the concerns, and the county repeatedly offered raises and bonus offers to Fudenberg in spite of the issues.

And last year, Wells only installed oversight at the distressed public administrator's office after a Review-Journal examination exposed an abusive work environment. Since Public Administrator Robert Telles was a chosen official, the workers had actually gone to county officials for two years prior but were told nothing might be done. Telles has actually been implicated of fatally stabbing Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff German in retaliation for the stories.

Jeff Wells, 74, made $325,000 in pay and advantages every year, according to current county information.

He formerly served in the Colorado state Senate and was director of the Department of Labor and the Department of Personnel and Administration in Colorado.

Contact Arthur Kane at akane@reviewjournal.com and follow @ArthurMKane on Twitter. Kane is editor of the Review-Journal's investigative team, concentrating on reporting that holds leaders and firms accountable and exposes misbehavior.