LAS VEGAS " Nevada's lieutenant governor has pleaded not guilty to four felony charges accusing him of mishandling state funds when he was state treasurer.
Republican Brian Krolicki, who is considering a 2010 race against U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, appeared Tuesday in Clark County District Court.
He was indicted by a Las Vegas grand jury earlier this month on two counts of misappropriation and falsification of accounts by a public officer, and two counts of misappropriation by a treasurer.
The charges arose from a 2007 audit of a multibillion-dollar college savings program. Auditors found Krolicki skirted budget controls and spent more on an advertising campaign than allotted by the legislature. No money is missing.
Krolicki says the charges are politically motivated.