The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office said Friday that a Lincoln Police Department investigation found no criminal wrongdoing by Gov. Jim Pillen’s office in connection with a $2.5 million state contract awarded without competitive bidding.
The investigation examined the 2024 contract issued by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development to Global Sustainability Developers, a company led by agricultural technology executive Julie Bushell. Bushell was a friend of Pillen’s and traveled with the governor on state trade delegations, according to information cited in the investigation.
Lincoln police had been examining the contract since earlier this year. The matter was referred to police after State Auditor Mike Foley raised questions about the award and the use of an emergency designation to bypass the state’s ordinary procurement process.
Questions about the emergency designation
Foley’s findings said the Department of Economic Development did not document why the circumstances qualified as an emergency. Nebraska law generally requires state agencies to use a competitive bidding process, or request for proposals, for projects costing more than $50,000.
The contract was intended to help expand Nebraska’s bioeconomy and secure additional federal funding for projects in the state. The Nebraska Legislature approved legislation related to that work in 2024, and the contract was issued for one year. Foley’s review said Global Sustainability Developers completed its contractual obligations while also questioning how the award was developed, expedited and approved.
The Nebraska Examiner previously reported that members of Pillen’s staff, including his chief of staff, participated in the process and recommended Bushell for the work. Pillen has defended the decision, saying the state needed to move quickly to pursue federal assistance and that a formal request-for-proposals process could have taken longer than the available period.
“Something I’ve been working very hard on is to get more than our fair share of federal dollars to Nebraska,” Gov. Jim Pillen said in February.
Pillen also said the state had about 90 days to complete the work and that a standard procurement process, including a possible appeal, could have taken as long as 110 days. The governor said the emergency approach was used to avoid losing time while federal money was being distributed to states.
- Contract: A one-year, $2.5 million agreement awarded by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development in 2024.
- Recipient: Global Sustainability Developers, led by Julie Bushell.
- Review: Lincoln police investigated the matter before the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office announced its finding Friday.
The Attorney General’s Office said the police investigation found no criminal misconduct by the governor’s office. Foley’s concerns about the contract’s procurement process remain part of the public record, including his conclusion that the emergency justification was not adequately specified.
