A civil trial in Nebraska questioning the validity of signatures for medical marijuana ballot initiatives continued Thursday, focusing on alleged fraudulent practices in the petition process. Jennifer Henning, a paid circulator for the campaign, admitted she improperly signed off on 18 signatures that she did not personally collect and claimed that Crista Eggers, the campaign leader, later notarized these signatures. Henning testified she was unaware of certain notary requirements and said she joined the campaign to advocate for her son’s medical needs.
John “Jake” Brennan, a fraud investigator with the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, highlighted multiple irregularities, including missing notary stamps and instances of self-notarization, which he said could impact nearly 80,000 signatures. Although nearly 90,000 signatures were initially certified for each measure, allowing them on the general election ballot, the Attorney General’s Office alleges widespread issues.
Additional testimony from David Wilson Jr. of the Secretary of State’s Office explained that guidance permits circulators to correct notary errors, though it does not override legal requirements. The AG’s Office claims nearly 50,000 “tainted” signatures on the legalization petition and over 30,000 on the regulatory petition. Brennan, citing “a culmination of errors,” suggested these issues might stem from both intentional and accidental misconduct. Attorney Daniel Gutman, representing the ballot sponsors, emphasized that some errors could have been unintentional, an argument supported by Brennan’s acknowledgment of possible mistakes.
The trial is set to continue Friday and could extend into Monday, with Election Day following on Tuesday.
Comments