The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on April 27 on a conflict of interest case originating in Sparks, Nevada, where a city councilman voted on a proposed casino that his campaign manager helped develop. The Nevada Ethics Commission said the councilman had a clear conflict of interest, and should have recused himself, even though the Sparks city attorney told him that casting his vote would be acceptable as long as he publicly disclosed his relationship with the developer. The case focuses on the councilman’s free speech rights.
The question as presented on the U.S. Supreme Court docket is here. A USA Today article on the case can be found here. A recent editorial from the Sparks Tribune is here.
