(Picture credit Matt Johnson)
The Nebraska Attorney General's Office said the Lincoln Police Department (LPD) found no criminal wrongdoing in its investigation into a $2.5 million no-bid contract that Governor Jim Pillen’s administration had given to Global Sustainability Developers and its president, Julie Bushell.
“On October 28, 2026, Lincoln Police briefed the Attorney General’s Office and agreed to submit their complete investigative file. During the briefing, Lincoln Police Investigators reported that their investigation determined that the Governor’s Office was not implicated in any criminal wrongdoing,” the Attorney General’s Office said in a statement Friday morning. “Based on that information, the Attorney General’s Office determined that no conflict prevented its review and agreed to accept the file for an independent assessment.
The statement came after LPD announced Thursday evening that it had completed its investigation and turned over a report to the attorney general.
“The Lincoln Police Department (LPD) has completed its investigation into a 2024 no-bid emergency contract sought by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development,” LPD said. “The investigation has been turned over to the State Attorney General’s Office for review.”
LPD’s statement did not address whether Pillen had been cleared or if the office had recommended charges in the case. When asked whether LPD’s report found no criminal wrongdoing as the Attorney General’s Office stated, LPD referred The Plains Sentinel to both its statement and the statement from the Attorney General’s Office.
Investigation Over Six Days Before Election Day
In its initial statement, LPD also addressed the timing of its release six days before the general election where Pillen is on the ballot. “From the onset, the only timeline we prioritized was the one required to conduct a detailed and responsible investigation. Our investigators remained focused on completing the work properly and without bias.”
In a follow-up statement to The Plains Sentinel, LPD spokeswoman Erika Thomas said the timing of the release was not political. “The timeline is based on the investigation solely. Not based on outside factors,” Thomas said. “When the investigation wrapped up, we then passed it on. That is not related to the timeline of anything else going on.”
The investigation into the contract began in March 2026 following an audit by Auditor Mike Foley where he questioned the process by which Bushell received her contract. Pillen has denied wrongdoing, saying Bushell and Global Sustainability Developers had brought in hundreds millions of dollars in federal money.
In a statement Friday, Pillen said he was glad the “political” investigation was over.
“This was political from the start. I’m glad it’s behind us so we can focus on the issues that matter most to Nebraskans and keep fighting to lower taxes, keep boys out of girls’ sports and protect our farmers,” Pillen said. “I appreciate the Attorney General’s confirmation this morning of what we knew all along: ‘Lincoln Police investigators reported that their investigation determined that the Governor’s Office was not implicated in any criminal wrongdoing.’”
This is a breaking news story; check back for updates.
— John Gage is the executive editor of The Plains Sentinel.