Nebraska
A jury found Nebraska's Republican Party defamed one of its own candidates in 2020
OMAHA, Neb. — A jury has found that the Nebraska Republican Party defamed one of its own candidates during an ugly legislative race five years ago and ordered it to pay her $500,000.
The Lancaster County jury sided with Janet Palmtag on Friday in her defamation lawsuit against the party. Palmtag sued after the Nebraska GOP sent out campaign mailers in October 2020 falsely claiming she had been charged with mishandling business trust accounts and had lost her Iowa real estate license.
At the time, Palmtag had been a lifelong Republican who was challenging fellow Republican and then-state Sen. Julie Slama of Peru, who had been appointed by and was backed by former Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts.
The race highlighted a growing schism within the state GOP, particularly between supporters of Ricketts and those of his predecessor, Republican Gov. Dave Heineman, who backed Palmtag in the legislative race.
The party’s mailers, sent to about 3,200 households of registered voters, included statements that Palmtag “broke the law and lost her real estate license,” and that her license had been “revoked.” The mailers also described Palmtag as “too irresponsible to keep her license.”
The mailers grossly mischaracterized a 2018 disciplinary case out of Iowa that found Palmtag’s real estate brokerage firm responsible for improperly transferring funds from an Iowa account to a Nebraska one. It was not Palmtag but another real estate agent who worked for the firm that had made the improper transaction. The company paid a $500 fine for the oversight.
Two years later, Palmtag canceled her Iowa real estate license, citing a lack of business for her firm there. The decision was not related to the disciplinary case, she said.
Palmtag demanded corrections to the mailers, but the state party refused. She sued after losing the race to Slama, seeking more than $4 million.
A judge initially dismissed Palmtag’s case, but upon her appeal, the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled last year that a jury should decide whether she was defamed.
Palmtag, who left the Republican Party following the dispute, argued that the campaign attack had not only cost her the race, but had hurt her business and personal life. The jury agreed, awarding $500,000 — a rare win for a defamation case involving politicians who are often seen as public figures and fair game in political attacks.
Palmtag’s attorney, David Domina, has been a trial attorney in Nebraska for 50 years and said he has seen only a couple of defamation cases that led to significant awards for the person suing.
“I think it’s it’s about as scarce as hen’s teeth,” Domina said.
The Nebraska GOP has 30 days to decide whether it will appeal the jury’s finding, and another 10 days to file for a new trial. After that, “Janet could start collection procedures,” Domina said.
Nebraska GOP Chair Mary Jane Truemper, who was just elected to the post last month, said Monday that the state party is “in the investigative phase right now” of weighing whether it will appeal.
(WOWT) – On this day in 1917, Nebraska law officially prohibited the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages in the state.
Voters approved an amendment to the state’s constitution.
A picture from the Nebraska Historical Society is from that first day.
A Dakota County newspaper reported that bootlegging spiked after the law passed.
Raiding squads going after violators even targeted bathrooms.
The 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution — which banned liquor nationwide — was ratified in 1919.
National prohibition was repealed with the 21st amendment in 1933.
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The Nebraska softball team (40-6, 20-1) will hit the road and face the Penn State Nittany Lions (32-17, 11-10) this week to wrap up the final regular-season series of the season. The Huskers are ranked No. 3 in the NFCA Poll. NU is also No. 2 by Softball America, USA Softball and D1 Softball.
The Huskers are led by two-way star Jordy Frahm and Hannah Camenzind. Frahm is hitting .423 at the plate on the season with a 15-4 record with nine saves in the pitcher’s circle. Camenzind is hitting .408 and has a record in the pitcher’s circle of 5-0 with a 1.40 ERA.
The Big Ten Tournament will take place May 6-9 in College Park, MD.
Here’s how to watch the Nebraska-Penn State doubleheaders today, including time, TV schedule, and streaming information:
What channel is Nebraska-Penn State on today?
TV Channel: Game one: N/A Game two: BTN
Livestream: Game one: B1G+ Game two: Fubo (free trial)
Nebraska vs Penn State will wrap up the final regular-season series of the year on the Big Ten Network on Saturday afternoon. Streaming options for the game include B1G+ and FUBO, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Nebraska-Penn State Softball time today
- Date: Saturday, May 2 (doubleheaders)
- Start time: 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. CT
The Nebraska-Penn State softball doubleheader starts at 10 a.m. CT and 1:30 p.m. CT from Nittany Lion Softball Park in State College, PA.
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ASHLAND, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) – Online trolls had a field day in March when Nebraskans got wind that a stiff breeze had taken a political sign that named a red barn along Interstate 80 in eastern Nebraska.
Much of the social media discourse centered on a combination of higher gas prices, tariffs, war, political fatigue and polling headwinds during the second term for President Donald Trump.
The barn’s owner, farmer Alan Volger, told the Nebraska Examiner at the time he probably couldn’t afford another red-letter “TRUMP” sign, nor could he physically put a new sign up.
“I gotta have somebody else put signs up,” he said. “I don’t care how high it goes, I gotta keep one foot on the ground.”
Volger said the timing seemed OK since the president is term-limited and cannot run again. He still had his signs up supporting property tax reform and opposing abortion.
But this week, Dr. Pat Castle of LIFE Runners, an anti-abortion group from Lincoln, and a friend of Castle’s who owns a lift, posted a new “TRUMP” sign on the “Trump Barn.”
They had funding help from a supporter of Nebraska Secretary of State candidate Scott Petersen, who paid for the sign and let his preferred candidate for Nebraska’s top election official take the credit.
Petersen and fellow Republican Secretary of State Bob Evnen have been in a pitched primary race over the future of counting votes in Nebraska elections. Both have expressed support for Trump.
So this week a different set of online trolls had a good day, punching back against the Nebraskans who had said they were ready to see something else driving from Omaha to Lincoln.
One said, “He made his barn great again.”
Critics also clapped back. One said, “Surprised they could afford to drive it there with the price of diesel.”
Volger, on Friday, said he had heard from a number of people who wanted the sign back up, and he said a bunch of people driving on I-80 when it went back up on Wednesday honked at them.
He said even the Nebraska State Patrol has used his barn as a landmark, recalling a lost man he saw wandering on his property that troopers said the barn helped them locate.
His goal for this year is to get the barn repainted so it looks a little nicer in the pictures people share online. He said his painter agreed to take the signs down and put them back up.
“I’m sure not doing it,” Volger said, laughing.
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