Lancaster County Attorney candidate calls for independent prosecutor in regards to fraudulent signatures

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Today, Lancaster County Attorney candidate Randall Ritnour called on County Attorney Pat Condon, requesting an independent prosecutor to oversee decisions in the investigation of fraudulent signatures.

The alleged fraud Ritnour wants overseen is the signatures submitted by Good Government Lincoln.

Ritnour said the request does not come from a place of accusation.

“This is not a demand that anyone be prosecuted, and it is not an accusation that anyone has acted improperly,” Ritnour said. “It is a request for independence. Let the investigators investigate. Let the evidence speak. And let someone with no political connection to the people or organizations involved make the prosecutorial decisions.”

He said the concerns arose from a from political relationships surrounding the investigation.

According to the campaign-finance records, Lancaster County Sheriff candidate Ben Houchin’s campaign received money from Nebraska Highwater PAC. The reports showed Daniel Bass as the PAC’s treasurer, before Bass became treasurer of Good Government Lincoln.

Ritnour said the connection does not prove misconduct.

“Campaign contributions can be perfectly lawful. Political endorsements are perfectly lawful. People involved in politics frequently know and support one another,” Ritnour said. “The issue is not whether these relationships prove wrongdoing. They do not. The issue is whether they create an avoidable question about who should make conflict-sensitive prosecutorial decisions as this investigation moves forward.”

Condon released a statement following the call to action, stating that he is aware of his responsibility to the rule of law.

“It is unfortunate that a candidate for public office would use an active election fraud investigation to manufacture a political conflict involving law enforcement to generate publicity for himself,” Condon said. “The county attorney’s role is not to play politics; it is to enforce the law fairly. I see no conflicts, only politics in this unnecessary call for costly outside counsel.”

Condon said the appointment of an outside counsel would cost taxpayers hundred of thousands of dollars.