Complaints against White dismissed

LINCOLN -- A commission that enforces campaign rules has dismissed complaints made by the Republican Party against state Sen. Tom White of Omaha.

The GOP had alleged that White, a Democrat elected to the Legislature in 2006, used public money for political purposes last year. Among the allegations was that White inappropriately paid for a political mailing with taxpayer money and that he used his Capitol office and staff for political purposes.

But the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission dismissed the complaints, saying in a letter to White “that there is no probable cause to believe that a violation ... has occurred.”

“This was a political hit by the Republican Party on me,” White said. “The only thing I did was try very hard to communicate with my constituents.”

State Republican Party Chairman Mark Quandahl said the complaints were not politically motivated.

“It’s the position of the Republican Party that the utilization of taxpayer resources for a personal or political purpose by a public official is improper,” Quandahl said, also on Monday.

One of the GOP complaints stemmed from a poll White had done on tax issues. The party alleged that White used state resources, including his Capitol office and staff, to release information in the poll.

The party cited a state law that makes it illegal to use public resources to disseminate information that could be used for an election campaign or a ballot issue.

“The poll results I received ... did not mention any candidates or ballot issues,” White said in a letter earlier this year to the commission.

The mailing the GOP complained about was what White described as a one-page announcement of a town hall meeting for constituents. It included a reference to a Web site of an organization that White created, the Nebraska Leadership Project. He has said the Web site was meant to update constituents about activity in the Legislature and his work during its sessions.

White said he set up the Web site because he was uncomfortable using state dollars to direct constituents to his campaign Web site, which some state elected officials have done.

The Nebraska Leadership Project Web site says the group promotes a “fiscally responsible middle-class agenda.” White said he has not updated the site since the GOP complaints were filed in November.

Republican Party leaders have called it a shadow political organization that White uses to influence legislation.

In March, the accountability commission dismissed the GOP complaint about the mailing.