Spring is turning to summer early this year in Nye County, and life figures to get a lot warmer soon for the elected officials who continue to make the place a political laughing stock in a state with a lot of competition.

Nye residents generally like their local government small and the federal government not much at all, but they can’t appreciate being the butt of jokes forever.

On Friday, weeks after I made the request, the Nye County Sheriff’s Department finally released a deputy’s body cam audio and video recording of a March 28 domestic disturbance call to the Pahrump home of Nye County Commissioner Leo Blundo and wife Melissa.

As a memory refresher, that was the incident in which the commissioner appeared to accuse his estranged wife of stealing approximately six figures in cash from a safe and his vehicle. A pistol also went missing, but, hey, this is Nye County we’re talking about.

No arrest was made in connection with the call for service – 9-1-1 was dialed by the commissioner himself – but missing from the deputy’s report was the recording of the available body cam audio.

On the audio, released Friday, Blundo is overheard discussing once possessing a “white powdery substance” that he handed over to Sheriff Sharon Wherly, who informed him it was “84 grams of cocaine.”

No charges were filed in connection with the domestic disturbance callout, or the cocaine issue.

In the wake of the release of the video recordings, Blundo issued a statement to Pahrump television station KPVM: “This is just another act of desperation from the Mitt Romney-Liz Cheney RINOS and punishing Blundo for his support of President Trump. That’s why the residents of Nye County know that Commissioner Blundo is a patriot who has always put his constituents first and why he’s been endorsed by the grassroots Nye County Republican Party.”

So much for his moment of introspection.

Following the March incident, Nye County District Attorney Chris Arabia, a longtime Blundo ally, followed protocol by referring the criminal investigation to the state attorney general’s Office. The subject of the investigation was a member of the commission, which is represented by the DA’s office.

The attorney general’s office then kicked the criminal investigation down to the district attorney’s office in Esmeralda County, population 1,030, according to the 2020 census. Robert Glennen, III juggles Esmeralda’s DA’s duties with those of the county’s public guardian, according to its website.

Should charges ever actually be made, the deputy’s body cam recording could provide intriguing details about the domestic disturbance and the commissioner’s diminutive but apparently very lucrative Italian café, which is not open full time.

In addition to plenty of salty language, Blundo accused his wife of stealing “almost $100,000” plus “close to $150,000 you tried to extort from me. I want you out. Out!”

“I haven’t tried to steal anything from you, Leo,” she replied.

“Out of my life!” He continued yelling, his phrases laden with invective.

At one point in the deputy’s interview, Melissa Blundo alluded to what she called her husband’s anger issues.

Outside the house, the commissioner pointed in the direction of cash he claimed was stolen from his safe, vehicle, and a small purse.

“What was the money from?” the deputy asked.

“From my business,” Blundo replied. “What kind of question is that?”

Precisely the kind of question a sheriff’s deputy should have asked while trying to sort out the facts of an epithet-laced domestic disturbance and accusations of nearly six-figures in missing cash.

According to the Transparent Nevada website, Blundo receives approximately $28,500 in annual salary as a commissioner. That salary is apparently augmented by whatever the profits his part-time restaurant generates.

An even more revealing comment came in a quieter moment between a deputy and Blundo, when the commissioner explained in some detail finding a package at his Italian café that contained an unidentified “white powdery substance.”

“So, I like had to beg you guys to take it,” Blundo said.

“Really?” the deputy replied, apparently confused.

Blundo then said he called Sheriff Wehrly about the substance and was told the package contained approximately 84 grams of cocaine. The deputy appeared not to know what he was talking about.

The commissioner then asked the deputy, “And have you heard anything or seen anything?”

“Just heard just now,” the deputy replied.

“Yeah, a little suspect, don’t you think?”

More than a little. I usually just sprinkle a little parmesan on my spaghetti.

For her part, Melissa Blundo’s recorded interview included her description of being held down as Blundo repeatedly accused her of stealing his money. She declined to press charges.

But whether charges are ever leveled in any court, the new details of the March incident clearly show an elected official with far too many distractions to perform a credible service to his constituents.

That is, if he’s even bothering to think about them.

Nye County residents aren’t alone in being jaded by the boorish and potentially criminal behavior of some of the unstable, egotistical people they put in charge of running their local government.

By failing to demand Blundo be held accountable for his behavior, they’re inviting a level of scrutiny of their county that they won’t be able to laugh off easily.

Near the end of the March incident, a deputy’s body cam footage captured Commissioner Blundo at his vehicle holding a wad of cash.

Facing the deputy, he said, “It’s nobody’s fucking business what I do.”

Actually, it is. It’s your constituents’ business.

Blundo’s wannabe wise guy routine brings to mind a line from a private detective named Sam Spade.

Upon hearing such tough talk, Spade replied, “The cheaper the crook, the gaudier the patter.”

Body cam videos obtained from the Nye County sheriff's office from 3/28/2022:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/13gisQUOAKGWuiRfCtyYoDTurb1dkKGZu/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BS4Ti73wnrgGsR2c7z8zsc_YdoTEToY2/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rP-miKVUZRMLdT9kwBhzhX2ujmgbojOV/view?usp=sharing

John L. Smith is an author and longtime columnist. He was born in Henderson and his family’s Nevada roots go back to 1881. His stories have appeared in Time, Readers Digest, The Daily Beast, Reuters, Ruralite and Desert Companion, among others. He also offers weekly commentary on Nevada Public Radio station KNPR.