Ely Offers to Pay District for Calls Made to Las Vegas

Ventura County Community College District Trustee Tom Ely said Monday he made personal telephone calls to Las Vegas on his district telephone but that the nature of the calls are nobody’s business but his own.

Ely’s comments were directed at an independent auditor’s report of his district expense records that are scheduled to be presented to the district board at its regular meeting tonight. Ely, a candidate for a county supervisor seat, used his district telephone to call Las Vegas casinos last year, district records show.

“I don’t doubt for a minute over the last four, five or 10 years that I probably made 40 or 50 inadvertent calls. . . . Certainly I did that,” Ely said. “But if they want to go into the content of the calls, I’ll say they better read the Constitution on that.”

Ely said he would be happy to reimburse the district for all personal calls.

The 54-year-old Simi Valley resident has been immersed in controversy since it was alleged last month that he owed $3,000 in gambling debts to the Edgewater Hotel and Casino in Laughlin, Nev. He was sued in February by the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas over $8,000 in alleged debts.

In addition, a law-enforcement source has told The Times that Ely had incurred about $40,000 in gambling debts at a number of Las Vegas casinos and hotels.

Ely has admitted some debts but said his losses have been greatly exaggerated in the media.

Ely said he will address the board at its meeting tonight about his alleged gambling activities. However, he said he will wait to comment on the auditor’s report until he has had a chance to review it.

Board member Timothy Hirschberg said that the five-member panel will receive a copy of the report just before its meeting, scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.

Although the report is not listed on the agenda, Hirschberg said the board plans to confront Ely about its contents.

“I’m sure it will come up one way or another,” Hirschberg said.

Depending on the auditor’s findings, Hirschberg said the board may choose to take no action on the matter or to delay discussion on it until its next meeting so members can consult with the Ventura County counsel’s office about how to proceed.

Board President Greg Kampf has said that the board will seek to censure Ely for his alleged gambling activities. A censure is an official expression of disapproval by a governing body. Ely would still be able to retain his seat on the board and vote on district matters even if censured.

Ely said he plans to stay in the supervisorial race to represent the 4th District, which includes Simi Valley, Moorpark, Somis and Santa Rosa Valley. He said the controversy surrounding him will not hurt him politically.