Public Administrator Candidate Edgar Velazquez is Running to Fix Clark County’s “Broken and Compromised” Probate System

Hispanic probate administrator and political candidate Edgar Velazquez has emerged as a central figure in what he describes as one of the most significant due‑process and judicial‑oversight controversies in recent Southern Nevada history.

Political Twist: Velazquez vs. Itkin‑Goodman

The dispute carries added weight because Velazquez is running for Clark County Public Administrator in the Democratic primary against Stefani Itkin‑Goodman. Goodman works in the legal office representing the probate commissioners in Velazquez’s ongoing Nevada Supreme Court case.

Velazquez argues that this creates an unusual dynamic: his opponent’s office is defending the very commissioners whose actions he says violated his constitutional rights. According to Velazquez, if the commissioners’ actions are upheld, it could set a precedent allowing them to reassign business interests without notice, hearings, or an opportunity to respond. He also notes that Goodman’s office has cited statements from former Public Administrator Rob Telles, now a convicted murderer, as part of their defense.

Velazquez’s Allegations Against the Commissioners

Velazquez says that within the last year, two Clark County probate commissioners attempted to take control of more than 40 of his active probate cases. He states that they did so without providing notice, hearings, or any opportunity to respond—protections he argues are required under Nevada law.

He says the commissioners reassigned his cases to two non‑minority competitors:

• Rita Reid, the current Clark County Public Administrator
• Brian Horner, a real‑estate broker with Real Estate One and a frequent vendor for the Public Administrator’s Office

Velazquez claims Horner operates multiple entities that appear as paid vendors across many probate files, including various fictitious‑business‑name entities. He notes he has been unable to locate any court filings showing that commissioners have ever questioned or scrutinized Horner’s fees, despite scrutinizing his. He also points out that none of the case files — including those overseen by Telles or Reid as Public Administrator — disclose whether the vendors being paid, or the entities purchasing estate properties, were owned by, managed by, or otherwise associated with the listing broker handling those same properties.

Velazquez further argues that both Reid and Horner have longstanding professional ties to former Public Administrator Rob Telles, who was convicted of murdering investigative journalist Jeff German. He believes Telles used his office to influence court processes, push policy changes, and consolidate control over probate‑related business.

Horner’s Network of Interconnected Entities

According to business filings reviewed by Velazquez and industry professionals, Horner controls or is connected to a web of entities that appear repeatedly in probate‑related transactions. Velazquez argues that these interlocking entities raise questions about concentration of probate‑related work and the lack of transparency in vendor selection.

Judges Intervene — Partially

According to court filings, two of the three district judges overseeing the matters reversed the commissioners’ actions. Those judges found that Velazquez had been denied notice, hearings, and other due‑process protections, and they complimented his business practices.

However, Judge Gloria Sturman declined to reinstate his cases. Even after acknowledging that the commissioners had “missed that step” in providing due process, she directed Velazquez back to the same commissioners to request the process they had previously denied.

Velazquez says he refused to return to officials who had “falsely accused me of stealing and made me feel like a dog.” Instead, he appealed to the Nevada Supreme Court. Shortly after the Court accepted the appeal, Judge Sturman retired. A ruling is expected soon.

The “Unexplained Fees” Dispute

During court proceedings, Velazquez says it emerged that multiple cases handled by Public Administrator Rita Reid involved listings by Horner with large, unexplained fees. This concerns Velazquez because former PA Rob Telles was previously criticized for failing to disclose fees while consolidating control over probate matters.

Generic “Expense of Sale” Entries

In the accountings reviewed, these fees are often labeled only as “Expense of Sale” in the probate filings — with no breakdown, no vendor names, and no description of services performed.

Some examples from the filings include:

• $23,732.73 (Quinn estate P-20-102256-E)
• $21,238.09 & $23,638.79 (Myles estate P-23-115314-E)
• $21,518.32 (Harding estate P-23-115315-E)
• $32,443.40 (Young estate P-23-117860-E)
• $43,939.57 (Longworth estate P-22-112582-E)

Velazquez and industry figure Thomas Moore both point out that these “Expense of Sale” charges can exceed $40,000, yet the commissioners responsible for oversight have never questioned them.

Moore has repeatedly asked Reid’s office to disclose the underlying invoices and vendor identities. Reid’s attorney, Michelle Abrams, recently told him he would need a court order to obtain the information.

Moore questions why fees paid by a public office are not already public, asking: “What are they hiding?”

But obtaining such an order would require going through the same commissioners Velazquez accuses of misconduct. A process he argues is structurally incapable of providing transparency.

The Telles Connection

Velazquez further argues that both Reid and Horner have longstanding professional ties to former Public Administrator Rob Telles, who was later convicted of murdering investigative journalist Jeff German. He states that “the pattern of nondisclosure, preferential treatment, and case‑steering resembles the environment surrounding Rob Telles before his arrest.”

He also points to court records and media reporting showing that journalist Jeff German had filed a FOIA request for Telles’s emails. Within days, Google Maps of German’s neighborhood appeared on Telles’s phone. The day after Telles was informed the emails would be released, he killed German.

Velazquez believes the same network of relationships and financial irregularities may still be influencing probate matters today. He says he is running for Public Administrator to ensure that this system is finally brought to an end.