Tuesday, April 8, 2025, the Nevada Supreme Court hears oral arguments in the absurd “Trackergate” saga at 10:00 AM PDT in Carson City, and let me tell you, this case is a clown show of epic proportions. Private investigator David McNeely is being dragged through the mud for legally tracking Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve and former Washoe County Commissioner Vaughn Hartung with GPS devices, something that wasn’t even a crime when he did it. Nevada had to pass a law after the fact, effective July 1, 2023, to make it illegal. McNeely’s client, John Doe, didn’t even ask for the tracking; he just wanted to sniff out corruption. Yet here we are, with Schieve and Hartung suing to force McNeely to reveal Doe’s identity. This isn’t justice; it’s a political hit job, and if the Supreme Court forces McNeely to spill the beans, every Nevadan should be terrified.

Let’s talk about the stakes. If John Doe’s anonymity gets torched, the ripple effects will hit every single one of us. Picture this: you’re a mom in Henderson, and you post on X questioning your school board’s shady budget. Boom, your name gets dragged into a lawsuit, and suddenly, you’re on the 6 o’clock news as a “stalker.” Or you’re a retiree in Elko, and you hire a PI to check if your city councilman’s taking bribes. Next thing you know, you’re audited by the state, your grandkids are harassed online, and

your life’s in shambles, all because you dared to ask questions. This isn’t hyperbole; it’s the logical endpoint of stripping anonymity. You could get sued for taking a photo at a public meeting, filing a public records request, or even whispering about corruption at a coffee shop. Trivial actions will become legal landmines, and the government will have a blank check to crush dissent.

America’s founders knew anonymity’s value. The Federalist Papers, penned by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay under the pseudonym “Publius”, helped birth our nation. If they’d been forced to reveal their identities, the British Crown would’ve had them swinging from a gallows, and we’d still be sipping tea under a Union Jack. Anonymity isn’t just a right; it’s the bedrock of free speech. Without it, the powerful can silence the powerless, and that’s exactly what Schieve and Hartung are banking on.

The fact this case has made it this far is a judicial embarrassment. No laws were broken, none. McNeely operated in a legal gray area, and Doe didn’t even authorize the tracking. Yet Washoe County Judge David Hardy, who should’ve recused himself given his cozy ties to local elites, let this farce spiral to the Supreme Court. This isn’t about justice; it’s about power. Schieve and Hartung are using the courts to intimidate anyone who dares to investigate them. It’s a dark money, taxpayer-funded witch hunt, and the real criminals might be the ones suing. If this case moves forward, discovery could air their dirty laundry for all to see, think secret deals, backroom bribes, maybe even worse. The irony would be glorious: two politicians trying to play victims, only to have their own skeletons paraded on the evening news. I’d grab popcorn for that.

This whole ordeal is a ridiculous waste of time, money, and resources. The Supreme Court has a chance to stop this injustice dead in its tracks by protecting McNeely and Doe’s rights. If they don’t, they’re handing every petty tyrant in Nevada a blueprint to destroy lives over nothing. The danger to Nevadans is real, the precedent is chilling, and the absurdity is off the charts. Let’s hope the justices see through this charade, because if they don’t, the fallout could be catastrophic, even if the unintended exposure of Schieve and Hartung’s secrets might just be the silver lining we didn’t see coming.

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