Someone in Washoe County hired private investigator David McNeely to follow Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve and former Washoe County Commissioner Vaughn Hartung last year, but the battle to reveal that person's identity has reached a new front in court.
An unnamed "John Doe" filed for summary judgement on Friday, admitting that they contracted with McNeely to investigate the mayor and commissioner, but asking a judge to look at the merits of the case before it goes to trial.
In the motion, Doe's lawyers say that the client "is concerned with potential corruption and malfeasance in local government." They go on to write that Doe hired David McNeely last year to investigate certain undisclosed allegations against the mayor and commissioner.
Doe's lawyers argue that the client did not commit any intrusion or invasion of privacy, nor did he violate any anti-doxxing laws.
Read the full motion for summary judgement here:
This court filing comes less than a week after a judge ordered McNeely to release documents identifying the client.
Mayor Hillary Schieve first sued McNeely in December 2022, saying her mechanic had found a GPS tracking device on her car. Past Washoe County Commissioner Vaughn Hartung joined the lawsuit in February 2023 after making the same discovery.
Since the January, lawyers for Schieve and Hartung have been trying to reveal the identity of the client who hired McNeely. They indicated during oral arguments last week that once they know who contracted with McNeely to follow the mayor and commissioner, they will immediately name that individual or group on the lawsuit.
