The Lincoln Police Department is now leading an investigation into a $2.5 million no-bid contract awarded by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development to a lobbyist connected to Governor Jim Pillen.
The contract and related actions by the governor’s staff first raised concerns during a review conducted by State Auditor Mike Foley. After completing the review, Foley referred the matter to the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office and the Nebraska State Patrol last month.
On Wednesday, Lincoln Police Sergeant Chris Vollmer confirmed the State Patrol transferred the case to Lincoln Police to avoid a potential conflict of interest, since the patrol operates under the governor’s office.
The contract was awarded in May of 2024 to Global Sustainability Developers, a company led by Julie Bushell, who had previously accompanied Governor Pillen on several state-sponsored trips. The agreement was issued as an emergency contract, which allowed the state to bypass the usual requirement that contracts exceeding $50,000 be awarded through a competitive bidding process. However, the contract documents reportedly did not clearly explain the emergency that justified skipping that process.
According to the auditor’s findings, further concerns arose when the Department of Economic Development appeared to backdate a report tied to the contract after missing a required deadline of June 30, 2025. Although the report was dated June 30 and signed by then-director K.C. Belitz, metadata from the document indicated it was actually created July 9, 2025, a day after auditors questioned the department about the missing report. The document was later revised before being submitted to the auditor’s office on July 11.
Auditor Foley’s office indicated the backdating of the report could potentially violate state law.
Former department legal counsel Joe Lauber told reporters he prepared the contract documentation at Belitz’s request following a meeting with auditors. Lauber was later laid off, and Belitz resigned from the department last year.
Governor Pillen and members of his administration have denied any wrongdoing, stating the contract complied with state law and helped secure millions of dollars in federal funding for Nebraska. The governor described the issue as a paperwork oversight rather than a criminal matter.
However, Foley told lawmakers during a Legislative committee hearing in February that he believes the situation raises serious concerns, particularly about whether a true emergency existed and whether the report was intentionally altered to mislead auditors.
Attorney General Mike Hilgers has confirmed his office received the referral but has not indicated whether a criminal investigation is underway. Hilgers said the attorney general’s office will review the findings and determine whether there is probable cause for a formal investigation. If warranted, the matter would then be handled by a law enforcement agency before any potential charges are considered.
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