The Nevada Commission on Ethics determined on Wednesday that Republican Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony violated state ethics laws by using state resources to support a task force aimed at keeping transgender athletes out of women's sports.

During a March 18 meeting, five commissioners issued a partial judgment that Anthony violated multiple state statutes by using his official email and social media accounts to promote the task force. The commission dismissed a complaint that Anthony was inappropriately using staff to support the task force. 

The commission determined on a 3-2 vote that Anthony should receive a civil penalty of $3,000, complete ethics training, and that his office create a dedicated social media policy.

Anthony's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In February 2025, the Nevadans for Equal Rights Committee filed an ethics complaint after Anthony said during a legislative committee meeting that his staff had helped with work related to the task force. Anthony has also promoted the task force's work on his official X account on numerous occasions. 

The task force has been part of a larger national debate about the participation of trans athletes competing in women's sports as the U.S. Supreme Court considers the constitutionality of the question. 

In April 2025, the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association also reversed a policy that allowed transgender athletes at high schools to compete on teams that aligned with their gender identity — a move that faced backlash from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, such as Silver State Equality.

Anthony said in a prior interview that the task force was meant to ensure fair competition and equal opportunity in women's sports, and prevent "awards and titles taken away from them" by transgender female athletes. 

In August, an ethics review panel found that there was enough credible evidence to forward the case to the broader commission to determine if the lieutenant governor violated a state statute that prohibits public officials from using their positions, government time, property, equipment or facility to advance their personal interests. 

The panel proposed a deferral agreement to dismiss the case if Anthony completed corrective actions, but the lieutenant governor declined and requested that the matter be considered by the broader commission. 

The lieutenant governor's office has faced several controversies in the past year. In January, The Indy reported that the lieutenant governor allegedly pushed out a former staffer, later replacing her with a conservative activist as he heads into his re-election bid. 

In November, an ethics complaint against the office's chief of staff, Rudy Pamintuan, was forwarded to the commission for review, alleging that Pamintuan was using his government position to promote a charter school network and a software platform he had vested interests in to U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon. 

During the March 18 meeting, the commission found that Pamintuan committed a "non-willful violation" of state ethics law. The case was closed after Pamintuan entered into a stipulated agreement, which includes completing ethics training and refraining from using his state email for "private business." 

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.