LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) – The state Attorney General is suing a Swiss national, alleging he has been funding six Nebraska ballot initiatives — and circumventing state law to do so.
In a news conference Wednesday morning, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers said the state had filed a lawsuit against Hansjorg Wyss and six “Wyss-backed entities” in relation to “dark money” contributions made to five state campaigns and one local campaign out of Lincoln:
- Raise the Wage Nebraska
- Nebraskans for Paid Sick Leave
- Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana
- Protect Our Rights (a pro-abortion ballot initiative)
- Support Our Schools
- Lincoln for Fair Housing
The state says Wyss funneled large sums of money through four nonprofits before making its way to nonprofits that included three in Nebraska: Nebraska Appleseed, Civic Nebraska, and Nebraska Abortion.
Hilgers says the money made its way here through large contributions initially made to two nonprofits — the Wyss Foundation and the Berger Action Fund — which then moved the funds to two other nonprofits — the New Venture Fund and the Sixteen Thirty Fund — which in turn sent funding to the Nebraska nonprofits as well as the Reproductive Justice Fund Inc., which made contributions to ballot initiatives in the state.
“Nebraskans are under an unprecedented assault of foreign money, flowing unlawfully into our state’s elections, which seeks to radically remake Nebraska’s laws and constitution,” Hilgers said in a news release. “This billionaire and his dark-money allies have flaunted the law in Nebraska, and we filed suit to put a stop to these groups who seek to violate Nebraska law while pushing their radical agenda on the People.”…