Ethics commission to render opinion on complaint against Library District head

The Nevada Commission on Ethics will issue an opinion about an ethics complaint regarding the conduct of Las Vegas-Clark County Library District Executive Director Kelvin Watson, who accepted free Super Bowl tickets in February, potentially violating the state’s ethics laws.

A panel of the Nevada Commission on Ethics investigated after receiving an ethics complaint in March against Watson for his acceptance and use of Super Bowl tickets, and it found that “sufficient cause exists for the Commission to render an opinion” on the alleged violations of Nevada’s ethics laws, it wrote in a July 14 determination.

The panel specifically cited the Nevada Revised Statutes that say a public officer or employee shall not seek or accept gifts and will not use their position in government to secure or grant unwarranted privileges.

In May, the Las Vegas Review-Journal published a monthslong investigation that found Watson, as well as Library Operations Director Leo Segura, received free Super Bowl tickets from the National Football League and asked for another after they worked together on a program to provide books to barbershops as part of the lead-up to Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas.

The value of the tickets far exceeded the library district’s policy prohibiting district staffers from accepting gifts worth more than $40, and it potentially violated the state’s own code of ethics.

Watson did not return a request for comment.

The commission is scheduled to meet next on Aug. 21.

47899_In Re Kelvin Watson, 24-027C Panel Determination by Jessica Hill on Scribd

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.