Federal judge to decide in Gibbons’ case

RENO -- A federal court judge is scheduled to decide next week whether to strike any references to Gov. Jim Gibbons' pending divorce and shield him from giving testimony in a civil lawsuit filed by a former administrator who claims she was improperly fired from the governor's office.

Just last week, U.S. Magistrate Valerie Cook had rejected arguments that Gibbons and his budget director, Andrew Clinger, should be excused from attending a mediation session for the lawsuit filed by fired staffer Mary Keating. Cook first made the ruling in January.

Keating, a certified public accountant and 25-year state employee, claims she was fired last May because the governor thought she leaked details of private text-messages he sent to another woman on a state phone.