SPARKS - A panel of the Nevada Ethics Commission decided Wednesday that ''credible evidence'' exists to warrant a hearing into charges that former tourism chief Phil Keene violated state ethics laws.
Keene was terminated in May by a unanimous vote of the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority board on charges that he misused RSCVA-issued credit cards for personal expenses.
The board also charged that Keene failed to reimburse the authority promptly for that use and that he improperly stored a personal vehicle on RSCVA property.
As the board prepared to terminate its embattled CEO for misconduct, Sparks activist David Farside filed a complaint against Keene with the ethics commission.
Farside's complaint charges that Keene violated Nevada statutes prohibiting public officers from using government property for personal benefit unless that use is nominal and does not give the appearance of impropriety. He said Keene's actions had the appearance of impropriety.
''I think this is exactly the forum to either prove or disprove the charges against Keene,'' Farside said. ''It will give him an opportunity to subpoena (RSCVA chairman and Reno Mayor) Jeff Griffin and the board to prove his innocence.''
An audit ordered by the RSCVA board identified $9,376.43 in personal charges made by Keene. He since has reimbursed the board. He maintained that was his intention all along and that no one instructed him that reimbursement was a problem.
Ethics commission executive director Ken Rohrs told the Sparks Tribune the panel relied solely on the audit in deciding to refer the matter to the full commission for a hearing.
''The panel found credible evidence exists that Keene's credit card misuse was a benefit to his personal and financial interest and that he used his position to secure unwarranted privilege - violations of two state statutes,'' Rohrs said.
Rohrs said the panel did not look at evidence being gathered by the Washoe County district attorney's office for possible criminal charges against Keene because the commission is only concerned with his ethical behavior.
Rohrs said the panel recommendation now triggers a commission investigation of Keene's conduct. That investigation will begin in about two weeks. Keene's commission hearing is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 10 in Reno.
Last August, the RSCVA board raised Keene's annual salary by 20 percent to $180,000 and gave him a 15 percent bonus of $22,400.
Since Keene's termination in May, Lynn Thompson, the RSCVA's chief operating officer, has temporarily taken over as the head of the tourism agency until a formal job search can be conducted.