Jon Bruning

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Jon Bruning
31st Attorney General of Nebraska
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2003
Governor Dave Heineman
Preceded by Don Stenberg
Member of the Nebraska Senate
from the 3rd district
In office
January 8, 1997 – November 6, 2002
Preceded by Michael Avery
Succeeded by Gail Kopplin
Personal details
Born (1969-04-30) April 30, 1969 (age 44)
Lincoln, Nebraska
Political party Republican
Alma mater University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law (J.D., 1994)
University of Nebraska (B.A., 1990)
Occupation Attorney general
Website Official website

Jon Bruning (born April 30, 1969) is the 31st Attorney General of the state of Nebraska. A Republican, he was a Member of the Nebraska State Legislature from 1996 until his resignation in 2002 following his election to the position of Attorney General.

Contents

Early life, education, and legal career [edit]

Bruning was born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, a fifth generation Nebraskan, and graduated from Lincoln Southeast High School ranked first in his class of 487. After high school, Bruning went on to the University of Nebraska where he received a Bachelor's degree in 1990 with High Distinction. Bruning was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the Innocents Society, a senior honor society at Nebraska that honors 13 seniors for leadership, scholarship and service. After completing his undergraduate studies, Bruning attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor with distinction in 1994.

Bruning served as general counsel for Vital Learning Corporation from 1995 to 1997.

Political career [edit]

State legislature [edit]

Bruning ran for the Senate's 3rd District of the Nebraska Legislature in 1996. He defeated incumbent Michael Avery 55%–44%.[1] He was the youngest member of the legislature. In 1998, he sponsored a bill that would extend loans to college students in order to encourage them to stay in the state.[2] He won re-election in 2000 unopposed.[3] By 2002, Nebraska was the only state to only use the electric chair for death penalty. He sponsored legislation to legalize lethal injection.[4]

Attorney General [edit]

He was elected Attorney General of the State of Nebraska in 2002 with 66% of the vote, becoming the youngest Attorney General in the country at the time, and the youngest in Nebraska history. He won re-election unopposed in 2006 and 2010. He sued the federal government over the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act with a 26 state coalition. His office led the legal challenge to the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s provision regarding employer-paid health insurance requirements related to abortion.[5]

He was President of the National Association of Attorneys General from 2009 to 2010.[6]He traveled to Iraq as President of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) and signed training agreement with Iraq Jurists Union.[7]

In 2004, worked with the Nebraska Legislature to create Nebraska’s Medicaid Fraud Unit.[8] The Medicaid Fraud Unit recovered more than $20 million in 2012 and nearly $68 million since 2004.[9]

Senate elections [edit]

Bruning was briefly a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2008[10] but he withdrew when Mike Johanns declared his candidacy. Johanns went on to win the election.

On November 5, 2010, Bruning announced he was exploring a run for the Senate seat held by incumbent Senator Ben Nelson.[11] On January 5, 2011, Bruning officially entered the race by filing papers to form a campaign committee with the Federal Elections Commission[12]

Bruning was endorsed by the Tea Party Express[13] and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.[14] Bruning has stated he believes life begins at conception, and has been endorsed by Nebraska Right to Life in each of his campaigns.[15] Bruning lost the Republican primary election from Deb Fischer, who went on to win the general election.

Electoral history [edit]

1996 Nebraska Legislature Election, State Senate District 3
Candidate Votes Percentage
Jon Bruning 6,361 55.32%
Michael T. Avery 5,105 44.4%
Nebraska Attorney General Election, 2002
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Democratic Mike Meister 150,286 33.93%
Republican Jon Bruning 292,673 66.07%
Nebraska U.S. Senate Election 2012 - Republican Primary[16]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Republican Deb Fischer 79,941 41.0%
Republican Jon Bruning 70,067 35.9%
Republican Don Stenberg 36,727 18.8%
Republican Pat Flynn 5,413 2.8%
Republican Spencer Zimmerman 1,601 0.8%
Republican Sharyn Elander 1,294 0.7%
Totals 195,043 100%

Controversy [edit]

In 2005, Bruning launched a criminal probe of University of Nebraska Regent David Hergert related to campaign finances.[17] That same year he charged a 20-year-old man with rape after his 14-year-old wife became pregnant.[18]

In 2008, Bruning's office worked for the exoneration of the “Beatrice 6” who had previously been convicted of the rape and murder of Helen Wilson of Beatrice, Nebraska in 1985.[19] Bruning later voted to grant pardons for those wrongly convicted of the crime.[20] [21]

During a speech in August 2011, Bruning compared welfare recipients to raccoons. Bruning said his comment might have been "inartful" but that he was trying to make a point about spending cuts being necessary.[22][23][24][25]

In August 2011, the Omaha World-Herald reported that Bruning had purchased a lakeside house valued at $675,000 near the Platte River in partnership with two Nelnet executives, almost a year after he and his office had been accused of acting favorably toward the student loan company by not enforcing payment of a $1 million judgment awarded to the State of Nebraska when Nelnet was under fire for alleged improper business practices.[26]

In 2012, Bruning publicly apologized to 80-year-old Darrel Parker for being wrongly accused of the 1956 murder of his wife.[27] [28][29]

In 2013, Bruning was fined a $19,000 civil penalty by the Federal Election Commission for campaign finance violations during his 2012 Senate election effort.[30]

Personal life [edit]

Bruning married Deonne Niemack of Shelton, Nebraska in 1995 in Lincoln; they have two children, Lauren and Jack.

See also [edit]

Portal icon Conservatism portal

References [edit]

  1. ^ NE Legislature 03 Race – Nov 05, 1996. Our Campaigns. Retrieved on 2012-03-03.
  2. ^ 'Brain gain' bill dies. McCook Daily Gazette. April 8, 1998
  3. ^ NE State Senate 03 Race – Nov 07, 2000. Our Campaigns. Retrieved on 2012-03-03.
  4. ^ Nebraska becomes only state to rely solely on electric chair. Star-News. April 29, 2002
  5. ^ O'Brien, Maggie (8 February 2012). "Bruning fights birth control rule". Omaha World Herald. Retrieved 29 January 2013. 
  6. ^ "Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning Elected NAAG President". National Association of Attorneys General. Retrieved 1/27/13. 
  7. ^ "NAAG Signs Training Agreement with Iraq Jurists Union". National Association of Attorneys General. Retrieved 29 January 2013. 
  8. ^ "Nebraska Revised Statute 68-943". Nebraska State Legislature. Retrieved 29 January 2013. 
  9. ^ Associated Press (15 January 2013). "Nebraska Medicaid Fraud Unit recoups $20 million". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved 29 January 2013. 
  10. ^ http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2835&u_sid=2397998
  11. ^ Becker, Bernie (November 5, 2010). "Nebraska Attorney General Looking at Senate challenge". New York Times. 
  12. ^ Tysver, Robin (January 5, 2011). "Bruning makes Senate bid official". Omaha World-Herald. 
  13. ^ Catanese, David (May 11, 2011). "Tea Party Express brews Bruning for Nelson challenge". Politico. 
  14. ^ Jon Bruning for Senate – Bruning Endorsed by Mike Huckabee. Jonbruning.com (2011-05-25). Retrieved on 2012-03-03.
  15. ^ Jon Bruning for Senate – Protecting the Unborn. Jonbruning.com. Retrieved on 2012-03-03.
  16. ^ "Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers of the State of Nebraska". Secretary of State of Nebraska. Retrieved June 17, 2012. 
  17. ^ Associated Press. "Bruning Launches Criminal Probe of Hergert". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved 1/27/13. 
  18. ^ Mabin, Butch. "Bruning Charges 22-year-old Man Married to 14-year-old Girl". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved 1/27/13. 
  19. ^ Hansen, Joelyn (8 November 2008). "Helen Wilson's killer identified". Beatrice Sun. Retrieved 29 January 2013. 
  20. ^ Duggan, Joe (14 July 2009). "White's records expunged in Helen Wilson murder". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved 29 January 2013. 
  21. ^ Huddle, Duggan, Catharine, Joe (27 January 2009). "Five in 85 murder case granted pardons". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved 29 January 2013. 
  22. ^ http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/08/nebraska-ag-jon-bruning-compares-welfare-recipients-to-scavenging-racoons.php
  23. ^ David Catanese (August 11, 2011). "Local TV scorches Bruning for raccoon reference". Politico. 
  24. ^ "Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning Regrets Comparing Welfare Recipients to Raccoons, Aide Says". FoxNews.com. Fox News Channel. 11 August 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2012. 
  25. ^ "Nebraska: Candidate Says He Regrets Welfare Analogy". The New York Times. The Associated Press. 10 August 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2012. 
  26. ^ "Bruning owns lake house with 2 Nelnet officials". August 28, 2011. 
  27. ^ Salter, Peter. "State apologizes, pays $500k to man in 1955 wrongful conviction". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved 1/27/13. 
  28. ^ Hammel, Paul (September 5, 2012). "Justice Comes for Darrel Parker from Jon Bruning". Omaha World Herald. Retrieved 1/27/13. 
  29. ^ Associated Press. "AP Photo". Retrieved 1/13/27. 
  30. ^ Cooper, Kent (May 16, 2013). "Email Trips Up Nebraska Attorney General, Agrees to $19,000 Penalty". Roll Call. Retrieved May 18, 2013. 

External links [edit]

Legal offices
Preceded by
Don Stenberg		 Nebraska Attorney General
2003–present		 Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Michael Avery		 Nebraska State Senator – District 3
1997–2002		 Succeeded by
Ray Mossey
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jon_Bruning&oldid=555678790"