A leading Democratic Party official representing Nevada’s Clark County was arrested on suspicion of murder in the stabbing of an investigative reporter whose work is believed to be responsible for the politician’s recent primary election loss. The news comes after years of the national media claiming Republican, Trump supporters were presenting threats to news reporters.
The arrest of leading local Democrat, Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles, occurred on September 7th, just one day after Las Vegas police asked for the public’s help in identifying a suspect in the case.
The previous Saturday, Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German was stabbed to death while he was believed to be pursuing a potential follow-up story about Telles. His previous reporting had revealed that Telles was responsible for a hostile work environment plagued with bullying, favoritism, and inappropriate relationships.
German, 69, had recently filed additional public records requests between Telles and three of his staffers in the office, which oversees the estates of deceased individuals.
Telles, whose primary loss has been linked to German’s work, had also publicly attacked the reporter in a series of public Twitter posts, accusing the reporter of preparing “lying smear piece #4.”
Police arrived at Telles’s home on the morning of September 8th, explaining they were “currently serving search warrants” in connection with the homicide investigation. Later that evening, officials revealed that Telles had been arrested, and a Review-Journal photographer captured an image of Telles on a stretcher as he was loaded into an ambulance.
“The arrest of Robert Telles is at once an enormous relief and an outrage for the Review-Journal newsroom,” Executive Editor Glenn Cook said.
“We are relieved Telles is in custody and outraged that a colleague appears to have been killed for reporting on an elected official. Journalists can’t do the important work our communities require if they are afraid a presentation of facts could lead to violent retribution. We thank Las Vegas police for their urgency and hard work and for immediately recognizing the terrible significance of Jeff’s killing. Now, hopefully, the Review-Journal, the German family and Jeff’s many friends can begin the process of mourning and honoring a great man and a brave reporter.”
Las Vegas Justice Court records show that Telles has an initial appearance scheduled for the afternoon of September 8th.
