Jeffery Davis

The meeting agenda includes reviewing late filing fees and requests for relief, the approval of a revised Commissioner's handbook, and receiving the Executive Director's report regarding personnel, budget, and litigation status. Additionally, the commission will conduct an evaluation of the Executive Director, set salary levels, receive reports from the Conflicts and Executive committees, hold an election of officers, and recognize the service of Kate Sullivan.

The commission addressed several key topics including a request for relief on late filing fees for Triple T Farms, which resulted in a reduced penalty. The Executive Director provided updates on personnel matters, budget status, legislative sessions, and the filing requirements for lobbyists and campaigns. Significant discussion occurred regarding various legislative bills (LB 904, 905, 986, 1071, and 1075) that impact the commission's operational procedures, including late filing fee structures and investigation protocols. Furthermore, the commission determined processes for the upcoming officer elections and executive director evaluation, received reports from the Conflicts and Executive committees, and concluded with a closed session that resulted in the approval of a settlement agreement regarding a violation of the NPADA.

The meeting featured an Executive Director's report covering personnel activity, budget status, and presentations on conflicts of interest and public resource usage. Key topics included discussions on filing requirements for financial interest forms and lobbying reports, as well as an overview of upcoming election deadlines. The Commission reviewed several pieces of state legislation, including bills regarding late filing fees, campaign expenditures, and agency deficit budgets. Additionally, the Commission held a closed session to address a settlement agreement regarding a violation of the NPADA in the Better Together Committee case, which resulted in a civil penalty.

The open session meeting included the approval of the previous Open Session Minutes from December 5, 2025. Key discussion points in the Executive Director's Report covered attendance at the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL) conference, a presentation to the Nebraska Association of County Officials (NACO), and the upcoming presentation to the Nebraska League of Municipalities regarding conflicts of interest. Budget status indicated 38.5% expenditure of the annual budget six months into the fiscal year. Filing deadlines for Lobbyist and Principal 4th Quarter Reports, Annual candidate campaign statements, and Statements of Financial Interests were reviewed, noting some issues with new requirements for foreign adversary agent affirmation checkboxes. The Commission reported no pending litigation. The majority of the session was dedicated to a Legislative Update concerning several bills (LB772, LB776, LB791, LB904, LB905, LB927, LB986, LB1002, LB1017, LB1018), with the Executive Director recommending support for LB 1002 (increasing late filing fees) and a neutral position on others. The session concluded with brief reports from the Conflicts and Executive Committees, followed by a Closed Session.

The meeting addressed several administrative and legislative items. Key discussions included the filling of the Staff Auditor position and reports on recent presentations made by the Executive Director regarding public spending, conflicts of interest, and lobbying ethics. The Commission announced attendance at the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL) conference and scheduled future presentations for the NACO meeting. Updates were provided on the status of filed financial reports for lobbyists, principals, and ballot question committees. The Commission adopted the proposed meeting dates for 2026, adjusting the January date. A legislative update covered several bills pending in committee, including those addressing campaign fund usage, deceptive deep fakes, and contribution limits. Following a closed session, the Commission announced approval and ratification of three settlement agreements involving Hartley v. McKeon, Executive Director v. Henry (which included an agreement for the respondent to resign as Trustee), and Nelson v. Erdman, with associated civil penalties assessed in each case.