Lancaster County Attorney candidate calls for independent prosecutor in petition investigation

Lincoln, Neb. (KLKN) — New questions are being raised about who should make prosecution decisions in the investigation into allegedly fraudulent Lincoln petition signatures.

The case involves Good Government Lincoln, which submitted three petitions last month. Five people from out of state who helped with the petition drive were arrested last week after thousands of signatures they turned in were considered fraudulent.

Lancaster County Attorney candidate Randall Ritnour is now calling for an independent prosecutor.

“I’m not asking for prosecution,” Ritnour said. “This is a request for independence, a request for a neutral, court-appointed special prosecutor to take on the case.”

Ritnour is running against current Lancaster County Attorney Pat Condon. He points to several political connections surrounding the investigation.

Condon has endorsed Ben Houchin for sheriff, and Houchin’s campaign previously received $500 from a political action committee whose treasurer was Daniel Bass.

Bass later became treasurer of Good Government Lincoln, the group behind the petitions now under investigation.

Ritnour says those connections don’t prove anyone has done anything wrong, but he believes an independent prosecutor would help restore public trust.

“I’m saying that it is in the public interest and in the interest of his office to go ahead and do that,” Ritnour said. “That way you restore the public trust.”

Condon disagrees, saying there is no conflict of interest.

In a statement, Condon accused his political opponent of trying to “manufacture a political conflict” to generate publicity. Condon also said bringing in outside counsel could cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Ritnour says he knows of no evidence that the political relationships have actually influenced the investigation.

“We just need to get the politics out of the investigation,” Ritnour said. “That’s what I’m trying to do. I’m not trying to inject politics. I’m trying to get them out of the investigation.”

Lincoln City Council Chair Brodey Weber held a separate news conference Thursday, raising questions about Good Government Lincoln’s petition effort.

“Lincoln deserves transparency. Lincoln deserves accountability, and Lincoln deserves a petition process that reflects integrity over incompetence or deception,” Weber said.