Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine asked the Nebraska State Patrol on Jan. 13 to investigate the actions of anti-recall group Forward Omaha after the mayor’s supporters bused homeless people to the Douglas County Election Commission to vote on the recall and offered them employment on election day. On Jan. 12, Forward Omaha provided transportation for voters — many of them homeless and living at the Siena Francis House — to the polling place and trained approximately 60 people to go door to door in a “get out the vote” campaign on election day. Workers who completed the half-hour training session were paid $5, but Forward Omaha maintains that the payment was not an incentive to vote against the recall. In a statement Jan. 13, Mayor Jim Suttle — who has donated more than $100,000 to the Forward Omaha campaign — called the decision to combine voter transportation and offers of employment a mistake. Forward Omaha will continue to offer both jobs and rides but will not combine the efforts. (Xanax)
Voter busing prompts investigation
Updated