Two ethics complaints have been filed against Rudy Pamintuan, the chief of staff to Nevada’s lieutenant governor, alleging misuse of his governmental position to promote a charter school network and its software platform to federal officials. The allegations concern Pamintuan’s involvement with the Pioneer Technology & Arts Academy (PTAA), a multistate charter school network that has attempted, without success, to establish a school in North Las Vegas on three separate occasions.
The complaints, submitted to the Nevada Commission on Ethics, assert that Pamintuan leveraged his role as a state official to benefit his private interests with the charter school. Specifically, he invited Education Secretary Linda McMahon to a local event where a demonstration of their artificial intelligence software was conducted by his business partner. While Pamintuan has not publicly commented on the allegations, he has stated on social media that he works with the charter school in a volunteer capacity.
The complaints against Pamintuan were filed shortly after Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony resolved a separate ethics complaint concerning the use of state resources for a task force addressing transgender athletes’ participation in women’s sports. This agreement, reached in August, mandated ethics training for the lieutenant governor’s office and the adoption of a social media policy that prohibits the use of government accounts for political campaigns.
Details of the Complaints
The first complaint against Pamintuan was submitted in September after the ethics commission received anonymous evidence in June. A three-member panel determined on November 13 that sufficient credible evidence existed to warrant further examination. A spokesperson for the ethics commission confirmed that a tentative agreement may be discussed in an upcoming public meeting this spring.
The allegations assert that Pamintuan violated Nevada ethics laws by using his governmental position to gain unwarranted privileges and by utilizing state resources for personal gain. A second complaint was filed in January, detailing Pamintuan’s roles within PTAA. Public records indicate that he has held various leadership positions within the organization, including a letter submitted in 2021 where he identified himself as board president.
In a notable instance, he appeared on a podcast in November 2025, where he was introduced as the president of a nonprofit called Learning without Limits, associated with an educational software linked to PTAA. This nonprofit does not currently appear in state or IRS records, raising questions about its legitimacy.
According to both complaints, the charter school’s founder, Shubham Pandey, demonstrated their educational AI tool to McMahon, Congressman Byron Donalds, and other attendees during an event on April 18, 2025. Press materials released after the event promoted the occasion as the official launch of PTAA’s Nevada school and the Alpha 1 AI tutor platform. The release emphasized the involvement of federal leaders and Pamintuan’s role, stating that their participation signaled a commitment to advancing education through technology in Nevada.
Public Response and Future Implications
Despite the event’s public portrayal, it was reportedly restricted to a select audience. A contributor for Nevada News & Views described the event as an “accidental private briefing” with limited access. In his communications, Pamintuan has maintained that his involvement with PTAA is entirely voluntary. He expressed frustration on social media regarding the state’s decision to revoke PTAA’s charter approval for the 2025-2026 academic year, attributing the challenges to alleged biases from state officials.
The charter school has faced multiple setbacks, with its application rejected twice during the early stages of the pandemic. In 2022, PTAA and an associated for-profit educational group filed a lawsuit against the state, which was dismissed following a confidential settlement. Currently, the charter school is not slated to open for the 2026-2027 school year, as state officials have confirmed that no letter of intent has been filed for a fall 2027 opening.
The September complaint received a time waiver, allowing it to proceed without standard timing requirements. The tentative agreement regarding the complaint against Pamintuan may be discussed in March or May, while the status of the January complaint remains uncertain as ethics officials maintain confidentiality until a public review panel confirms sufficient cause for further action.
