Update: Yet More Twists In Nevada Scandal

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The sexual-assault scandal surrounding the GOP’s Nevada gubernatorial candidate is gaining a level of complexity seen only in tawdry television drama series and particularly sinister small-town conspiracies.

A judge yesterday ordered mysteriously disappearing and reappearing surveillance tapes released, that could prove who’s lying about the late-night encounter between Rep. Jim Gibbons (R-NV) and his accuser, Chrissy Mazzeo.

Big news, right? Those tapes could be the key piece of evidence that breaks the case. Well, hardly. Here’s what else has been revealed in the last twenty-four hours:

– Just about every player in the drama (aside from Mazzeo) is connected to Gibbons. Through himself, his counsel and advisers, the accused is closely tied to the local sheriff whose force is investigating the assault charges against him; at least one of the two local newspapers covering the scandal; a key judge; the owners of the surveillance tape; and nearly everyone else in his drinking party that fateful night (i.e., witnesses). For starters.

– While the tapes could have been the most important piece of evidence to determine Gibbons’ guilt or innocence, they may be useless if they can’t be authenticated and their whereabouts established for the past two weeks they’ve been missing.

– Police finally admitted that there was a fourth 9-1-1 call from that night, from the accuser’s sister. Since the incident over two weeks ago, the police have denied they had any record of that call.

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