Listen To This Story
Despite being found guilty of 24 misdemeanor charges last week, Jacy Todd is undaunted in his race against Gov. Jim Pillen for the Republican governor nomination.
Todd, who was found guilty of 23 counts of official misconduct and one count of making a false statement under oath, said he wants a full pardon from Pillen, Secretary of State Bob Evnen and Attorney General Mike Hilgers, who sit on the Board of Pardons.
He said the the crimes he was accused of, which included improperly notarizing medical cannabis petitions, were “paperwork errors.”
“My trial was tainted by the state from the start of opening arguments,” Todd said at a press conference in the state Capitol on Monday. “The state attorney’s office denied us a fair trial.”
Todd’s charges came from a months-long case over Nebraska medical cannabis petitions from 2024. Voters approved medical cannabis that November. A jury found Todd guilty over his role as a notary for those petitions. But Todd said he is appealing the charges and will let the voters be the deciding voice in his case.
“When the voters of Nebraska speak, our elected officials must listen,” Todd said. “It is time to end corruption in our beautiful state. It is time to bring Nebraska back where it belongs: to the people.”
Todd compared his case to a recent decision by Pillen to award a $2.5 million dollar no-bid contract to a company, Global Sustainability Developers LLC, owned by a consultant with whom he is friendly. State law requires agencies to seek bids for large projects. While the contract in this case was awarded on an “emergency” basis, the state auditor alleged that an emergency was not justified by the state.
Todd said if officials don’t pardon him, he wants answers as to why his own case is criminal while Gov. Pillen’s no-bid contract was not criminally investigated.
The governor’s office confirmed receipt of the pardon request but did not offer further comment on Todd’s accusations.