Trackergate: Supreme Court to Decide If Nevada’s Elites Can Crush Free Speech!

Listen up, America, because today, September 29, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court huddled in their “long conference,” chewing over whether to take up the case of John Doe, that brave citizen-journalist who’s been battling Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve and former Washoe County Commissioner Vaughn Hartung in this so-called “Trackergate” farce. This isn’t just some local dust-up, it’s a frontline fight for the soul of the First Amendment. Doe hired a licensed PI to probe serious corruption allegations against these public servants, and now they’re using the courts to unmask him and shut him down. If the justices deny his petition, we’re looking at a timeline that could expose Doe by late October or early November, but if they grant it, we might preserve anonymity for folks like him who dare to hold the powerful accountable. And let’s be real: in Nevada, where public corruption runs rampant with zero justice in sight, we need more Does, not fewer.

First off, hats off to Doe for being a citizen-journalist digging into local political rot. That’s exactly right. He’s not some shadowy stalker like the RGJ tries to paint him, he’s an everyday American exercising his God-given right to investigate and speak out against misconduct. The allegations? We’re talking horrific stuff that could put people behind bars or boot them from office forever, linking tons of people, and businesses in a web of sleaze. Doe didn’t rush to blast this on social media, he hired David McNeely, a licensed pro, to verify the claims. But McNeely, bless his heart, was too sick to properly investigate, and he admits Doe never told him to track or follow anyone, let alone plant GPS devices. Those trackers were McNeely’s call, legal at the time, and Doe never saw the data. The RGJ’s latest piece still peddles the “spy” nonsense, but it’s a lie, Doe was prepping for protected speech, not running a covert op.

Here’s the rub: why is Doe, or the PI on trial here? He, they, broke zero laws. Shouldn’t it be Schieve and Hartung on the allegations that’s got dozens of witnesses buzzing about unlawful activities? But in Nevada, accountability is a joke, right? Politicians skate while whistleblowers get crucified. If Doe’s unmasked, it’s open season on citizen journalists everywhere. Think Project Veritas, O’Keefe Media Group, or any independent sleuth outside the mainstream media machine, they’d think twice before exposing the truth, fearing retaliation from the very officials they’re investigating. That’s not America, that’s a banana republic. The First Amendment protects speech and the prep work behind it, like investigations, because without that, free expression is just hot air.

Now, let’s break down the timelines, because the RGJ glosses over how this could play out if the justices punt. The Court might announce grants as early as October 3, but denials drop on October 6, the first Monday of the term. If they deny Doe’s petition, a 104-page powerhouse arguing that investigative prep is core First Amendment turf, that’s not the immediate end. Parties have 25 days to file for rehearing at SCOTUS, though that’s a long shot. More importantly, once denied, the Nevada Supreme Court steps in. Per Nevada’s appellate rules, they’ll issue a remittitur, basically handing the case back to the district court, 21 days after the denial order, unless adjusted. That puts us around October 27 if denied on October 6, unless adjusted.

Then, back in Washoe County District Court, Judge David Hardy’s prior orders kick in. He’s already ruled Doe must reveal his name, but stayed it for appeals. Once the remittitur arrives, the court would likely enforce disclosure, and based on past rulings in this saga, defendants like McNeely have been given about 14 days to comply. Add it up: 21 days for remittitur plus 14 for compliance means 35 days post-denial, pushing revelation to early November. Unless, the courts somehow adjust timelines, or do things in this case, they seldom, if ever do in others. Bottom line? If SCOTUS denies, we could know Doe’s identity by Halloween or shortly after, unleashing the hounds on him. But if they grant review, and they should, to fix the Nevada court’s boneheaded split from federal precedents, Doe stays anonymous, at least through arguments, maybe forever if he wins. That keeps the First Amendment shield intact for all of us.

Judge Hardy deserves huge credit here too. His June 16 stay recognized the huge public policy stakes, letting Doe chase his constitutional remedies without getting doxxed mid-fight. That’s judicial backbone, protecting speech over political payback. But the real heroes are folks like Doe, risking it all to shine light on corruption. Schieve and Hartung whine about privacy, but hey, they chose public life, scrutiny comes with the gig. If this goes to trial post-unmasking, discovery might flip the script, airing their dirty laundry and proving Doe’s point.

In the end, this is about America winning. Public servants must be held accountable, or democracy dies in the dark. Nevada’s track record stinks, no justice for corruption, just vendettas against truth-seekers. Let’s hope the justices see through this power grab, grant Doe’s case, and reaffirm that citizen-journalists are protected. If not, and Doe’s exposed, he might just go nuclear, dumping all the evidence online for the world to judge. Either way, the truth wins, but it’d be a shame if it costs us our freedoms. Stay vigilant, folks, the spotlight’s on, and Schieve and Hartung might not like what it reveals.

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