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Commission approves one-year deferral for library director over Super Bowl tickets
Summary
The Nevada Commission on Ethics approved a one‑year stipulated deferral for Kelvin Watson after finding he accepted Super Bowl tickets valued at about $8,600 and sought agency counsel before attending; the agreement requires ethics training for Watson and library staff and dismissal upon compliance.
The Nevada Commission on Ethics on Oct. 16 approved a one‑year stipulated deferral for Kelvin Watson, executive director of the Las Vegas‑Clark County Library District, resolving allegations that Watson accepted and used Super Bowl tickets valued at about $8,600.
Executive Director Armstrong said investigators found Watson ‘‘accepted the gift, and used the gift for himself attending the Super Bowl’’ and emphasized a statutory safe‑harbor when an official consults agency counsel before accepting a gift. Armstrong told the commission Watson asked his agency counsel whether it was appropriate to accept the gift and ‘‘agency counsel cleared him’’ before he attended.
Under the proposed deferral, Watson must comply with the ethics law for one year; he is required to arrange and implement ethics training for himself and all library district staff and to work with his board to amend internal gift policies, which the ED said already impose internal value limits. Armstrong said that if Watson meets the deferral conditions, the alleged violation will be dismissed.
Attorney Scott Abbot, representing Watson, told the commission he appreciated staff work toward a resolution. Commissioner Lowry used the matter as a cautionary example, urging public employees not to accept tickets or gifts even if counsel advises otherwise.
The commission voted to accept the stipulated deferral; Commissioner Reynolds recorded an abstention. Commission Counsel Bassett will finalize the stipulation in legal form.
