Five Out-of-State Suspects Arrested Over 13,300 Fraudulent Lincoln Petition Signatures
Updated
Updated · Nebraska Public Media | News · Aug 7
Five Out-of-State Suspects Arrested Over 13,300 Fraudulent Lincoln Petition Signatures
3 articles · Updated · Nebraska Public Media | News · Aug 7
Summary
Five out-of-state suspects were arrested in Nevada, Florida, Washington, D.C., and Missouri in a fraud probe tied to Lincoln charter-amendment petitions, with more suspects still outstanding.
Lancaster County investigators say the circulators helped collect fraudulent signatures, get them notarized and submit petitions for ballot measures; Election Commissioner Todd Wiltgen rejected more than 13,300 signatures for suspected fraud.
The vast majority of suspect signatures were tied to a petition imposing City Council term limits, one of three Good Government Lincoln measures aimed at changing local elections.
Good Government Lincoln said it supports prosecution of any fraudsters and wants answers, while Gov. Jim Pillen called the case “historic fraud” and urged lawmakers to restore a ban on pay-per-signature gathering.
The Nebraska Attorney General’s office said it will keep investigating with county authorities, framing the case as part of a broader effort to protect trust in the petition process before the November ballot.