The Nebraska Attorney General’s office filed abuse of public record charges against first-term state Senator Brenda Council this Wednesday.
Attorney General Jon Bruning alleges Council filed false campaign finance reports to cover-up her use of more than $63,000 in campaign funds for gambling. Brunings investigation, which included reviews of casino records and surveillance video, revealed Council made withdrawals from casino cashiers and spent the money in slot machines and at gaming tables. Council, who is running for a second term, apologized for what she termed “an error in judgment”, and says she considered the use of campaign funds for personal use as loans she intends to pay back. “There was no malicious intent on my part,” Council claims. She intends to continue her run for Senate.
The charges are Class 2 misdemeanors; a conviction would not preclude her from serving in the legislature, although it does jeopardize her license to practice law. Her actions may be considered professional misconduct under Nebraska Supreme Court rules. Council could have been charged with the felony of intentional false filing of a campaign report, but Bruning chose not to do so stating, “I don’t take Senator Council’s long, distinguished career in public service very lightly.” A felony conviction would have barred her from serving in the legislature.
Council has a history of gambling problems, made public in 2005 when she was arrested for trespassing on Bluff’s Run Casino grounds. She admits she has a “gambling addiction” and is getting professional help. Her opponent in the Senate race, former state Senator Ernie Chambers, said he was saddened and disappointed by the news. Chambers, an opponent of gambling, hopes this incident will demonstrate the destructiveness of gambling. “If this can bring down someone like Brenda, it should not be ignored,” Chambers noted. If convicted, Council faces a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail. She will appear in Lancaster District Court next Tuesday where she is expected to enter a guilty plea.
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