Don Bacon and Tony Vargas

 Complaints regarding two Nebraska candidates

With the upcoming elections, many people may be feeling on edge. Whether voters or candidates, the situation has become tense. Recently, formal complaints were made regarding two individuals who are candidates for Nebraska’s second district race. These two individuals were Democratic State Sen. Tony Vargas and Republican U.S. Rep. Don Bacon. The most recent complaint was made by Nancy Meyer of Cedar Bluffs who is with the House Office of Congressional Ethics regarding Rep. Don Bacon. Meyer’s complaint states that Bacon allegedly misused government resources by signing a letter utilizing official House Office letterhead, inappropriately encouraging the Nebraska Legislature to alter its method of awarding electoral college votes. Rep. Mike Flood's office was responsible for "organizing, drafting, and sending" the letter, as confirmed by Bacon's congressional office, which Flood's team later verified. The letter received signatures from all five members of Nebraska's congressional delegation.

On Sept. 18, a delegation letter central to Meyer’s complaint was addressed to Governor Jim Pillen and Speaker of the Legislature John Arch. Several individuals who spoke to the Examiner this week suggested that the House Ethics Committee is unlikely to take action against members regarding the letter sent to the governor and speaker of the Legislature. One individual questioned the effectiveness of a letter endorsing Trump's stance in benefiting Bacon in the second district. Several others suggested that members might receive a recommendation to utilize campaign letterhead in the future. In Nebraska, the electoral vote is awarded to the candidate who wins the popular vote in each congressional district. Republicans have consistently advocated for a return to a “winner-take-all” system, where all five electoral votes go to the overall victor in the state.

Complaints regarding State Sen Tony Vargas were that a $60,000 fellowship program that he was involved in during his congressional campaigns from 2022 to 2024 should have been classified as a political contribution. The complaint with the FEC was lodged in March against a group that paid Vargas, initiated by the conservative Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, which previously received funding from the Koch brothers.

Both parties are pushing back against these claims and calling them politically motivated allegations that merit or hard evidence. Currently, it is unclear whether or not the allegations may lead to a formal investigation, however, resolution for these may take more than a year.

by Robert Tengker