We now know who hired the private investigator that tracked Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve and former Washoe County Commissioner Vaughn Hartung.
It's conservative donor Robert Beadles.
If the name sounds familiar, you might know him from our coverage on local campaign financing and election fraud lawsuits.
Just this year, an appeals court rejected his suit alleging that a state law infringed on the freedoms of election observers.
He has also previously led failed attempts to recall or oust local public leaders.
Beadles released this statement to 2 News Nevada:
I want to be clear: I never told anyone to track or follow anyone, or public official. I hired a licensed private investigator only to verify serious allegations before having them say anything publicly, that’s called being responsible. I didn’t direct the investigator’s methods, and no laws were broken by me or the investigator. What’s happening now isn’t about wrongdoing, it’s about retaliation. I’m being painted as the villain for believing public officials should be accountable to the people they serve. I stand by that principle, and I won’t apologize for seeking the truth. I look forward to what the witnesses, victims, and full discovery will reveal so everyone can understand exactly why a PI was hired in the first place.
After the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear arguments in the case last month, it went back to the lower courts that previously said John Doe is not protected by the First Amendment.
OCTOBER 6, 2025:
The Supreme Court has declined to hear oral arguments in the John Doe GPS tracker case involving Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve.
The Justices released a long order list Monday, on the same day the Court kicks off its new term.
They did not give a reason why they declined.
SEPTEMBER 29, 2025:
The Supreme Court is meeting to consider whether to hear arguments in the John Doe GPS tracker case involving Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve.
The Justices will hear case details on Monday to decide whether to take up the case - in full.
Last month, lawyers appealed to the Supreme Court in an attempt to keep John Doe's identity secret in the ongoing GPS tracker case.
In April, the Nevada Supreme Court unanimously issued a ruling that the First Amendment does not protect 'John Doe' in the case.
Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve filed suit in December of 2022 seeking damages from private investigator David McNeely for a violation of her privacy after a mechanic alerted her to a clandestine GPS tracking device on her car.
APRIL 23, 2025:
The 9th Circuit of Appeals has ruled in favor of the City of Sparks after a private detective claimed that his constitutional amendments were violated.
On November 20, 2023, David McNeely filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the City of Sparks and certain Sparks Police Department (SPD) officers violated his First and Fourth Amendment rights and intentionally caused him emotional distress under state law when, during an investigation into a potential stalking case, his name was identified in a GPS tracking case connected to Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve.
A district judge granted the City’s Motion to Dismiss the case in May 2024.
McNeely then filed an appeal with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and that appeals court affirmed the previous grant of dismissal in an April 22, 2025 Memorandum Disposition. (read below)
The Ninth Circuit agreed that McNeely “failed to allege a cognizable legal theory that the First Amendment afforded him a right to privacy in the context of this case,” and observed there was no “causal connection between any retaliatory animus of [the City] and his alleged injuries.”
The City of Sparks says the court concluded that the facts alleged did not support a Fourth Amendment violation or a claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress under Nevada law and affirmed that any amendment to the complaint would have been futile.
Update, April 10:
The Nevada Supreme Court unanimously issued a ruling that the First Amendment does not protect "John Doe" in the GPS tracking case.
March 8:
The Nevada Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments next month, in a case involving Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve.
The person who allegedly hired a private investigator to place a GPS tracker on the mayor's car is still trying to keep their identity hidden.
We've been following this case since 2022.
According to court documents, the client continues to argue First Amendment protections, while Schieve alleges privacy violations.
Last year, we reported how the Justices had sided with a district court saying the private investigator must reveal their client's name.
Arguments are set for April 8th.
