‘Damaged the public trust’: Lincoln official demands answers in alleged signature fraud case

LINCOLN, Neb. —

The chairman of the Lincoln City Council is demanding answers about an investigation into allegedly fraudulent petition signatures as a conservative-aligned group restarts its effort to place three measures on the city ballot.

The investigation has resulted in several arrests outside Nebraska and could be the state’s largest-ever case involving fraudulent ballot petition signatures.

Weber criticized Good Government Lincoln, the group behind the three proposed ballot initiatives. The group previously submitted thousands of signatures that investigators later said were fraudulent.

Good Government Lincoln has restarted its petition drive ahead of a September deadline. The measures would change election dates, adjust election boundaries and establish term limits for members of the Lincoln City Council.

“Before anyone signs anything, Lincoln residents need honest answers,” he said. “Whether it was the result of professional incompetence or intentional mismanagement, it has damaged the public trust, all at the financial cost of the taxpayers.”

Weber is asking what the group knew about the alleged fraud and what safeguards it’s established to prevent future issues. KETV asked Axiom Strategies, which is handling communications for Good Government Lincoln, for comment, but it did not respond.

Weber also questioned whether the handling of the investigation, and he called for an outside special prosecutor to handle the case rather than Lancaster County Attorney Pat Condon.

“Deputy Sheriff Ben Houchen and County Attorney Pat Condon publicly declared that Good Government Lincoln’s leaders were blameless,” he said. “How can that even be determined before the conclusion of an investigation. I think when an elected official is tasked with investigating a political firm, that they have connections to a special prosecutor is the appropriate route to go.”

The call echoes one made by Randall Ritnour, the Democratic challenger to Condon in the November election. Ritnour has pointed to political relationships among people involved in the case as a reason for seeking outside counsel.

Condon rejected the criticism from Ritnour, saying in a statement that his office has no conflict of interest.

“The county attorney’s role is not to play politics; it is to enforce the law fairly,” Condon said. “I see no conflicts, only politics in this unnecessary call for costly outside counsel.”

The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office said it had no response at this time.

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