(Picture credit Matt Johnson)
The America First Party gained ballot access this year after a petition drive that used paid circulators, and it has placed candidates on the November ballot under its name.
Since then, there have been some questions about the party’s finances. The party is not registered with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission (NADC), and it does not have to register until it raises or spends more than $5,000 on candidates or a ballot question. Money left over from the petition drive to form the party counts toward that line.
The party’s candidates, however, have been left largely to fend for themselves.
“They haven’t completed the website yet. They’re kind of, you know, shoestringing this thing,” said Chuck Conboy, the party’s candidate for U.S. Senate. “You know, with Brett running for governor, they’re putting a lot of money into that, and I’m just kinda running my own quiet campaign.”
Lindstrom said he has not seen that money.
“I’m unaware of all the background money — I just have my own situation,” he said at an Omaha event in September. “Nothing’s come so far.”
Asked about Conboy’s claim, he said he had never met him.
“I haven’t seen it,” Lindstrom said. “I talked to both Working People’s Party and America First, and my deal was I just wanted — because of the petition situation — I wanted to use it as a vehicle, and that’s it. So I have not seen any money come from anybody.”
And while Conboy says the website has yet to be completed, there is currently a website for the America First Party at americafirstne.com. Lindstrom, however, says that it is a fake.
“That website is actually fake—that America First website, if you Google it. It was created by the other side … The Working People’s Party side,” Lindstrom said.
Lindstrom’s own campaign committee is a separate matter. Lindstrom for Nebraska registered with NADC and was required to file a first general-election campaign statement by Monday, October 5, covering contributions and spending from June 17 through September 29.
NADC confirmed Thursday morning that the statement had not been filed. Missing the deadline carries a late fee of $50 a day, capped at $1,500, and the Commission can also assess a civil penalty of up to $5,000.
The missing statement and the party’s lack of a filing drew a response from Nebraska GOP chair Mary Jane Truemper.
“Blundering Brett Lindstrom has failed four times to make the ballot and now can’t even meet a filing deadline,” Truemper said, “while the America First Party apparently hasn’t raised enough money to even be required to report to the NADC.”
Following initial reporting by The Plains Sentinel, Lindstrom’s campaign filed its disclosure showing it had raised just over $12,000 and spend less than $50.
Could America First Split the Vote?
Many on the right are concerned about a potential split with Lindstrom running as a third party candidate—and Democratic challenger Lynne Walz confirmed as much to The Plains Sentinel.
“I think a lot of it [support] will be pulled from Pillen, and I think it’s gonna positively affect our campaign,” Walz said.
Walz, who worked with Lindstrom while in the Legislature, described his last-minute jump into the race as “a little too late.”
“I’ve been doing this for the last three months,” Walz said. “I’ve been, you know, traveling across the state, meeting with as many people as I can, raising funds, and it is now October, and a little too late.”
Neither Lindstrom nor America First Party chairman John Cartier could be reached for further comment.
The only candidate with the America First Party to file an NADC report this week was Secretary of State candidate Bob Krist. Krist reported raising $1,500 total, $500 of which was from himself.
Conboy, who is polling at 1% in his race against Republican Senator Pete Ricketts and Independent Dan Osborn, had a positive outlook on low-dollar campaigns and their ability to compete.
“So far, so good. Kind of a low key campaign philosophy. My opponents are killing each other—spending many millions of dollars. It’s insane. I might be the last man standing.”
— Matt Johnson is a freelance reporter with The Plains Sentinel.
This is all on Brett and pothead lawyer John Cartier. Scam! Dirty trick!