Stephen Cloobeck quits athletic commission, slams Lombardo

Nevada Athletic Commission Chairman Stephen Cloobeck submitted his resignation Tuesday, saying he could not work with Gov.-elect Joe Lombardo when he takes office in January.

Cloobeck, who Gov. Steve Sisolak named to a two-year term as chairman in June 2021, criticized Lombardo in a resignation letter sent to Sisolak, whom Lombardo defeated for re-election in November. Cloobeck donated to Sisolak’s campaign in 2022, but not Lombardo’s, although he supported Lombardo for sheriff in 2018.

“I cannot work for the Governor-Elect Lombardo,” Cloobeck wrote. “He is not honest nor grateful for the great benefits I’ve given to the State of Nevada. It has been an honor to work with you and my State of Nevada. As you know, I tried very hard to find vindication for the death of Nathan Valencia and unfortunately after 4 attempts the Governor-Elect former Sheriff of Nevada did nothing to prove the cause of his death.”

Valencia, a junior at UNLV, collapsed after participating in an off-campus charity boxing match Nov. 19, 2021. He died four days later of blunt head trauma, according to the Clark County coroner’s office. But the Metropolitan Police Department, which Lombardo oversees as Clark County sheriff, decided not to pursue criminal charges against anyone associated with the event, saying that “the circumstances surrounding his death are not criminal.”

Tough questions for Metro

But Cloobeck, in his role as the commission’s chairman, aggressively questioned officials in the case, including a Metro deputy chief and a deputy Clark County district attorney, about why the case wasn’t pursued, especially focusing on why the gloves used by Valencia’s opponent were not located and examined. He successfully got the commission to pass emergency regulations requiring that emergency medical personnel be present at similar fights in the future and that trained referees be present.

A review of the Metro investigation by Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford’s office said the conclusion that no crime had been committed was “premature” and compromised future prosecutions.

Cloobeck said he asked Lombardo in December 2021 to pursue a wider scope of the investigation with the Clark County district attorney’s office, but Lombardo failed to do so. That’s part of the reason he quit, Cloobeck said.

“My principles and morals will not allow me to work for a liar,” he said in an interview Tuesday.

Cloobeck said he didn’t fear being fired from the chairman’s job when Lombardo took over, though his criticism came against the backdrop of a tough political contest in which Cloobeck leveled attacks against the department run by the man who was challenging the governor who elevated him to the commission’s chairmanship. Cloobeck said his criticism was focused on Valencia’s death and the investigation of it, not the politics of the governor’s race.

“All I asked was the sheriff to do his job. Go get the gloves,” Cloobeck said.

A Lombardo spokeswoman said the governor-elect did not have a comment on Cloobeck’s resignation.

“The Governor appreciates the Chairman’s service and wishes him nothing but the best,” Sisolak’s office said in a statement.

Big donor

Cloobeck is a prolific political donor to both Republicans and Democrats. According to the secretary of state’s office, he has given more than $335,000 since 2012 to various candidates.

In 2014, he donated $10,000 to former Metro Capt. Larry Burns, who ran unsuccessfully against Lombardo for sheriff in that election. But in 2017 and 2018, he donated $20,000 to Lombardo’s re-election campaign and this year donated $10,000 to Kevin McMahill, Lombardo’s endorsed candidate to replace him as sheriff.

He also has donated $30,000 to Sisolak over the years, including for his re-election as governor, but did not support Lombardo for governor. Cloobeck also donated $30,000 in total to Ford, both when Ford was running for attorney general and last year as Ford prepared to run for re-election.

Contact Steve Sebelius at SSebelius@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0253. Follow @SteveSebelius on Twitter.