{"id":2609918,"date":"2026-06-03T06:20:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T10:20:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nebraska-complaints-target-candidates-tied-to-dan-osborn\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T06:24:57","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T10:24:57","slug":"nebraska-complaints-target-candidates-tied-to-dan-osborn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nebraska-complaints-target-candidates-tied-to-dan-osborn\/","title":{"rendered":"Nebraska complaints target candidates tied to Dan Osborn"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnebraska-complaints-target-candidates-tied-to-dan-osborn%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2609918&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A set of criminal complaints in Nebraska alleges that Democratic Senate candidate Cindy Burbank and Legal Marijuana NOW nominee Mike Marvin are running \u201csham\u201d campaigns intended to clear the way for independent candidate Dan Osborn, whom critics say is effectively backed by Democrats. The filings claim Burbank and Marvin allegedly misrepresented to election officials that they would serve if elected, while supposedly planning to withdraw later.<\/p>\n<p>One complaint was submitted by Derek Schwartz, a La Vista police officer and prior unsuccessful legislative candidate, and another by Lydia Brasch, a former Republican state senator. Brasch argues Nebraska should intervene to stop alleged election \u201cgaming\u201d through \u201cstrategic withdrawals and bad-faith candidacies.\u201d She also contends that Burbank does not qualify as a \u201cgood faith\u201d candidate under state law, based on allegations that she never intended to actively pursue or hold office.<\/p>\n<p>Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers has been asked to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-disclosure-of-silent-fbi-raid-on-bidens-office-shows-deep-state-at-work\/\" title=\"New Disclosure Of Silent FBI Raid On Biden\u2019s Office Shows Deep State At Work\">investigate potential violations<\/a> such as election falsification, perjury-related offenses, and false sworn statements, though no action has been reported so far. The concerns echo earlier disputes in which the Nebraska Secretary of State temporarily removed Burbank from the ballot before a court reinstated her candidacy after ruling legal deadlines were missed.<\/p>\n<p>The complaints are part of a broader behind-the-scenes fight over whether certain candidates were strategically recruited as placeholders to shape the November race around Osborn. After Osborn entered the race, the Nebraska Democratic Party endorsed him and also supported Burbank, while party officials have acknowledged she planned to drop out after the primary and back Osborn.The article also places the dispute in the context of Democrats struggling to compete in the Great Plains,where some view independents as a more viable path against Republicans.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Criminal complaints filed in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/nebraska\/\">Nebraska<\/a> allege that Democratic Senate candidate <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4495209\/nebraska-senate-democrat-candidate-ballot\/\">Cindy Burbank <\/a>and another candidate are running sham campaigns designed to ultimately clear the field for <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4564234\/democrats-bait-and-switch-boost-nebraska-independent-candidate\/\">Dan Osborn<\/a>, the independent candidate critics argue is effectively backed by <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/democrats\/\">Democrats<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The filings accuse Burbank and Legal Marijuana NOW nominee Mike Marvin of falsely certifying to Nebraska election officials that they intended to serve if elected, despite allegedly planning to eventually exit the race.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4591946\/deb-haaland-democrat-nomination-new-mexico-governor\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Biden\u2019s former interior secretary Deb Haaland wins Democratic nomination for New Mexico governor<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4591331\/hilton-investigate-newsom-fraud-elected-california-governor\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Hilton vows to investigate Newsom for fraud if elected California governor<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4589569\/trump-south-carolina-governor-endorsement\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman refuse to exit South Carolina governor\u2019s race after losing Trump endorsement<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One complaint was filed by Derek Schwartz, a La Vista police officer who unsuccessfully sought a Nebraska legislative seat in District 18 earlier this year. A separate complaint against Burbank was submitted by Lydia Brasch, a former Republican state senator from West Point who served in the Legislature from 2011 through 2019.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Brasch <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/nebraskaexaminer.com\/2026\/05\/29\/complaints-about-u-s-senate-candidates-who-hinted-at-helping-osborn-sent-to-nebraska-ag\/\">argued in the complaint <\/a>that Nebraska officials should intervene to prevent what she described as attempts to game the state\u2019s election system through \u201cstrategic withdrawals and bad-faith candidacies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI believe election integrity in Nebraska, not just this cycle, but in all cycles going forward is a paramount priority, and that manipulation of Nebraska\u2019s election laws through strategic withdrawals and bad-faith candidacies is an unlawful practice that authorities should take steps to stop,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers was asked to investigate possible violations of state law, including election falsification, perjury-related offenses, and false sworn statements, allegations that together could carry penalties of up to seven years in prison upon conviction. No action has yet been taken by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-ag-barr-authorizes-federal-prosecutors-to-pursue-substantial-allegations-of-voting-irregularities-before-2020-election-is-certified\/\" title=\"BREAKING: AG Barr Authorizes Federal Prosecutors to Pursue &quot;Substantial ...&quot; of Voting Irregularities Before 2020 Election is Certified\">attorney general<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One filing further contends that Burbank does not qualify as a legitimate or \u201cgood faith\u201d candidate under Nebraska law because she allegedly never intended to actively pursue or hold the office, according to the Nebraska Examiner, which <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/nebraskaexaminer.com\/2026\/05\/29\/complaints-about-u-s-senate-candidates-who-hinted-at-helping-osborn-sent-to-nebraska-ag\/\">first reported <\/a>the complaints. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >allegations closely resemble concerns previously raised<\/a> by Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen, who temporarily removed Burbank from the ballot before a court reinstated her candidacy after ruling Evnen had missed the legal deadline to challenge it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The latest filings are part of a broader, monthslong battle surrounding Nebraska\u2019s Senate race, where allies of Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and independent candidate Dan Osborn have traded accusations over whether certain candidates were recruited to shape the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/debra-j-saunders-democrats-and-their-dirty-tricks\/\" title=\"Debra J. Saunders: ... and Their Dirty Tricks\">general election field<\/a>, claims all involved campaigns have denied.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nebraska held its Senate primaries in May, with Ricketts easily securing the Republican nomination while Burbank won the Democratic primary and Marvin captured the Legal Marijuana NOW nomination. The primary drew unusual scrutiny because of accusations from multiple factions that certain candidates were effectively acting as placeholders or political allies intended to shape the November field around independent candidate Dan Osborn.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Nebraska Democratic Party endorsed Osborn shortly after he entered the race last summer while also backing Burbank\u2019s candidacy. In a fundraising email previously<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/05\/11\/us\/politics\/nebraska-senate-race-primary.html\"> reported by <\/a>the<em> New York Times,<\/em> Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb acknowledged that Burbank planned to \u201cdrop out after the primary and support Osborn.\u201d State Democrats also spent at least $136,000 supporting Burbank\u2019s campaign.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The unusual maneuvering reflects a broader political reality across much of the Great Plains, where Democrats have increasingly struggled to compete statewide under their own party label, leading some strategists to view independent candidates as a more viable alternative against Republicans.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Nebraska, a state President Donald Trump carried by roughly 20 points in 2024, Democratic leaders saw former union leader Dan Osborn as a stronger general election contender after he significantly outperformed the Democratic presidential ticket during his previous Senate run.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4566035\/four-takeaways-nebraska-west-virginia-primary-elections\/\"><strong>FOUR TAKEAWAYS FROM NEBRASKA AND WEST VIRGINIA\u2019S PRIMARY ELECTIONS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Osborn, who lost Nebraska\u2019s Senate race to Republican Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) by roughly 7 points two years ago, has repeatedly insisted he would not caucus with either party if elected. Republicans have pointed to remarks he made during a February town hall, suggesting he could caucus with Democrats if pursuing an independent path in the Senate proved ineffective.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Midwest and Great Plains were once home to a strong strain of Democratic prairie populism, but the region has shifted sharply to the right over the past two decades. Democrats held a narrow Senate advantage across the 18 states commonly associated with the region roughly 20 years ago; today, Republicans dominate the delegation by a margin of 25 seats to 11.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nebraska complaints allege Cindy Burbank and Mike Marvin ran sham campaigns to clear the way for Dan Osborn<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2657,"featured_media":2609919,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP25189695774833.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[4087,44305,80751,14648,5894],"class_list":["post-2609918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-campaign","tag-dan-osborn","tag-election-complaints","tag-nebraska","tag-politics"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP25189695774833.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2609918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2657"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2609918"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2609918\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2609922,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2609918\/revisions\/2609922"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2609919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2609918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2609918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2609918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}