information that she thought I needed to know about,” Woollen said. “It involved political corruption. Misappropriation of funds, slush funds.”
Woollen told reporters that Kathy was aware that her politically volatile investigation into political corruption and financial transgressions had placed her life in danger.
“She said that a prominent Republican figure had thrown her against a wall,” Woollen recalled, “and said the following to her: ‘What are you doing? You’re going to “F” it all up. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll drop out of this race and go away. Otherwise, you better watch your back.’”
According to Las Vegas political analyst Jon Ralston, the Republican leadership in Nevada were staggered and taken aback, not only by her investigation into corruption, but also by her announcement that she was going to run for state treasurer right after being impeached while state controller. They also felt that she had betrayed the party.
“I think they were flabbergasted,” Ralston said. “I think they were upset. I think they didn’t know exactly what to do because some thought, ‘You know what? She might have a chance.’”
Despite the threats and other tactics that were being used against her, allegedly by her colleagues inside her own political party, Kathy rejected their attempts to get her to quit. At one point, she appeared on Ralston’s television show to defend herself, and he had asked her on the air if she had ever thought about resigning.
“When you know that what you did, did not rise to the level of impeachment,” she replied, “then it was a matter of staying there and fighting for something you truly believed in.”
Ralston recounted some of Kathy’s political misdeeds, and made comments about the ruthless politician that lay beneath her on-camera smile.
“I think people really, really despised Kathy Augustine because of the tactics she used,” Ralston said to 48 Hours correspondent Troy Roberts. “She really hit people below the belt. And she really used the most divisive wedge, personal, emotional, inflammatory issues to get ahead.”
But was it her political persona that had upset people so much? Or was it the fact that she had launched an investigation that had the potential to not only embarrass some of the state’s elected officials but to possibly bring them down as well? Given the mystery surrounding how Kathy had died, the questions really needed answering—but the police did not seem to have an interest.
Some people hinted that Kathy’s political problems began after her state colleagues realized that she was being considered for the position of U.S. treasurer. One of her close friends, Nancy Vinnik, had been vocal about it.
“She was being looked at for a position in the U.S. Treasury,” Vinnik said. “And I think there were some good ole boys that didn’t like that. That’s when all the troubles in her life really, really started to happen—politically.”
But had it really been the U.S. Treasury position that she was being considered for that had upset people in her party? Or was it fear of her perfectionist ways that bothered them, knowing that someone as thorough as Kathy might actually get to the bottom of the purported political corruption involving slush funds that she was attempting to bring out into the open? Were the alleged wrongdoers really that fearful that she might actually expose them?
“Everything in her whole life was organized,” Vinnik recalled as she explained how Kathy possessed an emblematic type A character trait. “That was just Kathy. All of her clothes were color coordinated. All of her suits were in order. She was a perfectionist to a T in everything that she did.”
Interestingly, according to 48 Hours, the threat against Kathy was never taken seriously by the police and was not investigated. Neither were a number of other alleged serious threats against Kathy’s health and safety—they were all
Woollen told reporters that Kathy was aware that her politically volatile investigation into political corruption and financial transgressions had placed her life in danger.
“She said that a prominent Republican figure had thrown her against a wall,” Woollen recalled, “and said the following to her: ‘What are you doing? You’re going to “F” it all up. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll drop out of this race and go away. Otherwise, you better watch your back.’”
According to Las Vegas political analyst Jon Ralston, the Republican leadership in Nevada were staggered and taken aback, not only by her investigation into corruption, but also by her announcement that she was going to run for state treasurer right after being impeached while state controller. They also felt that she had betrayed the party.
“I think they were flabbergasted,” Ralston said. “I think they were upset. I think they didn’t know exactly what to do because some thought, ‘You know what? She might have a chance.’”
Despite the threats and other tactics that were being used against her, allegedly by her colleagues inside her own political party, Kathy rejected their attempts to get her to quit. At one point, she appeared on Ralston’s television show to defend herself, and he had asked her on the air if she had ever thought about resigning.
“When you know that what you did, did not rise to the level of impeachment,” she replied, “then it was a matter of staying there and fighting for something you truly believed in.”
Ralston recounted some of Kathy’s political misdeeds, and made comments about the ruthless politician that lay beneath her on-camera smile.
“I think people really, really despised Kathy Augustine because of the tactics she used,” Ralston said to 48 Hours correspondent Troy Roberts. “She really hit people below the belt. And she really used the most divisive wedge, personal, emotional, inflammatory issues to get ahead.”
But was it her political persona that had upset people so much? Or was it the fact that she had launched an investigation that had the potential to not only embarrass some of the state’s elected officials but to possibly bring them down as well? Given the mystery surrounding how Kathy had died, the questions really needed answering—but the police did not seem to have an interest.
Some people hinted that Kathy’s political problems began after her state colleagues realized that she was being considered for the position of U.S. treasurer. One of her close friends, Nancy Vinnik, had been vocal about it.
“She was being looked at for a position in the U.S. Treasury,” Vinnik said. “And I think there were some good ole boys that didn’t like that. That’s when all the troubles in her life really, really started to happen—politically.”
But had it really been the U.S. Treasury position that she was being considered for that had upset people in her party? Or was it fear of her perfectionist ways that bothered them, knowing that someone as thorough as Kathy might actually get to the bottom of the purported political corruption involving slush funds that she was attempting to bring out into the open? Were the alleged wrongdoers really that fearful that she might actually expose them?
“Everything in her whole life was organized,” Vinnik recalled as she explained how Kathy possessed an emblematic type A character trait. “That was just Kathy. All of her clothes were color coordinated. All of her suits were in order. She was a perfectionist to a T in everything that she did.”
Interestingly, according to 48 Hours, the threat against Kathy was never taken seriously by the police and was not investigated. Neither were a number of other alleged serious threats against Kathy’s health and safety—they were all
Similar Books
