Charles W. Herbster (born 1954 or 1955) is an American
agribusiness
Agribusiness is the industry, enterprises, and the field of study of value chains in agriculture and in the bio-economy,
in which case it is also called bio-business or bio-enterprise.
The primary goal of agribusiness is to maximize profit w ...
executive, cattle producer, political donor, and politician. He was an agriculture advisor and chairman of
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
's agriculture and rural advisory committee during the
Trump's 2020 presidential campaign. Herbster also ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for
Governor of Nebraska
The governor of Nebraska is the head of government of the U.S. state of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Constitution of Nebraska. The officeholder is elected to a four-year term, with elections held two years after presidential e ...
in
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
and
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
.
Early life and education
Charles Wesley Herbster was born in
Falls City, Nebraska
Falls City is a city and county seat of Richardson County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 4,133 at the 2020 census, down from 4,325 in 2010 and 4,671 in 2000.
History
Falls City was founded in the summer of 1857 by James Lane, John ...
, in 1954 as the only child of Donald Eugene Herbster and Dorothy M. Herbster (nee Carico). Herbster graduated from Falls City High School. He attended the
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln (Nebraska, NU, or UNL) is a public land-grant research university in Lincoln, Nebraska. Chartered in 1869 by the Nebraska Legislature as part of the Morrill Act of 1862, the school was known as the Universit ...
for two years, but dropped out and returned home after the death of his mother.
Career
Agriculture
Herbster is a cattle producer and owns Herbster Angus Farms in Falls City.
Herbster's farm in Falls City began as a homestead in 1847 owned by William McKendry Maddox, Herbster's great-great-grandfather. The ranch passed through Maddox's granddaughter, Leta Meyers Carico, who was Herbster's maternal grandmother and whom Herbster credits as his first teacher and mentor.
Herbster stated his farming practice was inspired in part by champion grower,
Francis Childs, known for his heavy use of chemicals and
deep plowing methods.
He also owns Conklin Co., a
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...
-based manufacturing company, which is structured as a
multi-level marketing (MLM) business,
which he purchased from
Bob Conklin with his wife, Judith, in 1992.
Conklin sells agricultural products including pesticide additives, farm fertilizers, probiotics for livestock, industrial roof coatings, and motor oils. Additional businesses Herbster owns are Herbster Angus Farms in Falls City, Nebraska, and the cattle breeding firm, North American Breeders in
Berryville, Virginia. Herbster bought North American Breeders in 2015.
As a breeder, Herbster purchased multiple cows for over $100,000 and multiple bulls for over $600,000 from Schaff's Angus Valley. In February 2019, Herbster purchased the highest-priced bull in auction history, paying $1.5 million for a bull called SAV America (SAV stand for Schaff's Angus Valley), which would be used as breeding stock on Herbster's Virginia farm. He later bought a one-year-old Angus bull for $2.14 million at a North Dakota auction.
Livestock show magazine, The Showtimes, noted Herbster Angus Farms for the adherence of its cattle to
Angus
Angus may refer to:
Media
* ''Angus'' (film), a 1995 film
* ''Angus Og'' (comics), in the ''Daily Record''
Places Australia
* Angus, New South Wales
Canada
* Angus, Ontario, a community in Essa, Ontario
* East Angus, Quebec
Scotland
* An ...
breed standards and along with high value breeders, Herster frequently purchases winning cattle at youth cattle shows as a way to support youth in the industry. This, along with Herbster's activity in high cost cattle breeding operations led to his being inducted into The Showtimes Magazine Hall of Fame in November 2017.
Political involvement
Herbster donated $500 to the
National Republican Congressional Committee in 2004 and $2,300 to a Republican candidate in the
.
In 2012, Herbster donated $91,600 to a PAC supporting the
Mitt Romney 2012 presidential campaign, $10,000 towards the
Nebraska Republican Party
The Nebraska Republican Party (NEGOP) is the affiliate of the Republican Party in Nebraska. The party is led by chair Dan Welch. Its headquarters is located in Lincoln. It is currently the dominant party in the state, controlling all of Nebrask ...
, and $2,500 for
Deb Fischer's campaign.
From 2013 to 2015, Herbster contributed nearly $100,000 towards the
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in fu ...
and $10,000 to
Robert Aderholt. In 2014, Herbster created the Republican-leaning Ag American super-PAC and contributed $100,000 between 2014 and 2015.
Herbster met
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
in 2013 at
Mar-a-Lago.
For six weeks, Herbster was a candidate in
2014 Nebraska gubernatorial election
The 2014 Nebraska gubernatorial election took place on Tuesday, November 4, 2014 to elect the 40th Governor of Nebraska. Republican Candidate and former COO of TD Ameritrade Pete Ricketts defeated Democratic candidate and former Regent of the ...
.
He withdrew from the race after concerns were raised about his Nebraska residency. He later invested $2.7 million into then-Nebraska state senator
Beau McCoy
Beau McCoy (born November 12, 1980) is an American politician who served as a member of the Nebraska Legislature for the 39th district from 2009 to 2017.
Early life and education
McCoy was born in Burlington, Colorado, has been active in th ...
's campaign.
Herbster also hinted to the ''
Omaha World-Herald'' that he funded
dark money ads promoting McCoy and attacking other candidates. McCoy placed third in the Republican primary.
Herbster was listed as a possible pick for
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
The United States secretary of agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other governments.
The department includes several organi ...
in November, 2016, days after Trumps election.
Sonny Perdue was announced to that position in January 2017, after which the Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska and 13 other trade groups requested that U.S. president Donald Trump select Herbster as the
United States deputy secretary of agriculture
The United States deputy secretary of agriculture is the second-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Agriculture, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. The deputy secretary becomes acting secre ...
.
In 2019, Herbster served as the chairman of Trump's agriculture and rural advisory committee.
He served as an agricultural adviser in the
Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign.
On January 5, 2021, Herbster participated in a meeting at Trump International Hotel with
Donald Trump, Jr.
Donald is a masculine given name derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *''Dumno-ualos'' ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder"). The final -''d'' in ''Donald'' is partly derived from a misinterpretation of the ...
,
Eric Trump,
Tommy Tuberville
Thomas Hawley Tuberville ( ; born September 18, 1954) is an American retired college football coach and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Alabama since 2021. Before entering politics, Tuberville was the head football co ...
,
Michael Flynn
Michael Thomas Flynn (born December 24, 1958) is a retired United States Army lieutenant general and conspiracy theorist who was the 24th U.S. National Security Advisor for the first 22 days of the Trump administration. He resigned in light of ...
,
Peter Navarro
Peter Kent Navarro (born July 15, 1949) is an American political figure who served in the Trump administration as the Assistant to the President, Director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, and the national Defense Production Act policy coordina ...
,
Corey Lewandowski,
David Bossie,
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis Giuliani (, ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 107th Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney General from 1981 to 198 ...
, and Adam Piper. Txtwire CEO Daniel Beck stated he also attended the meeting, along with
Mike Lindell. The group discussed how to pressure more members of Congress to object to the Electoral College results that made Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 election. Herbster also attended Trump's speech on January 6, 2021. Following the rally, he returned to the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
with Trump family members, and he flew to Florida with
Donald Trump Jr
Donald John Trump Jr. (born December 31, 1977) is an American political activist, businessman, author, and former television presenter. He is the eldest child of Donald Trump, 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021, and his firs ...
. and
Kimberly Guilfoyle after the
2021 United States Capitol attack
On January 6, 2021, following the defeat of then-U.S. President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election, a mob of his supporters attacked the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. The mob was seeking to keep Trump in pow ...
began.
2022 gubernatorial election
![Charles Herbster campaigning with Donald Trump](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Charles_Herbster_campaigning_with_Donald_Trump.jpg)
In November 2020, Herbster established a campaign committee in preparation for a second gubernatorial race. He selected Omaha City Councilwoman, Aimee Melton as his campaign treasurer. On April 26, 2021, Herbster declared his candidacy in the
2022 Nebraska gubernatorial election
The 2022 Nebraska gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of Nebraska. Incumbent Republican Governor Pete Ricketts was term-limited and unable to seek a third term. In the general election, Republican Jim P ...
. Until September 2021,
Corey Lewandowski served as a senior advisor before he was let go amid sexual harassment allegations.
In 2021, Herbster called
Ben Sasse a "
Looney Tune
''Looney Tunes'' is an American animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation. Senator."
Herbster is opposed to the
estate tax in the United States. His opposition to
critical race theory
Critical race theory (CRT) is a cross-disciplinary examination, by social and civil-rights scholars and activists, of how laws, social and political movements, and media shape, and are shaped by, social conceptions of race and ethnicity. Goa ...
was a central part of his gubernatorial campaign.
KMTV reported in June 2021 that Herbster had almost 600 late property tax payments on his various properties in Colorado, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska. and Virginia. Herbster responded the funds were used for payroll; however, he gave personal donations totaling millions to political campaigns during this same time period.
Donald Trump endorsed Herbster in late 2021. Herbster has shifted between supporting the idea that Trump won the
2020 election and stating
Joe Biden is the "duly elected" President. Incumbent governor
Pete Ricketts denounced the endorsement. Reid Epstein of the
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
characterized the Trump endorsement as the "entire rationale" for the campaign.
In May 2022, Herbster lost the primary election, placing second behind businessman
Jim Pillen
James D. Pillen (born December 31, 1955) is an American politician, veterinarian and livestock producer serving as the 41st and current governor of Nebraska since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, Pillen served on the Nebraska State Board ...
.
Sexual assault allegations
In April 2022, the ''
Nebraska Examiner
States Newsroom is a U.S. tax-exempt organization that serves as an umbrella organization for state-focused news outlets with progressive editorial outlooks. Launched in 2019, it began as a sponsored project of the Hopewell Fund, a left-leaning ...
'' published a story stating that Nebraska state senator
Julie Slama and seven other women accused Herbster of groping or forcibly kissing them. The allegations were supported by witnesses. He denies the allegations. Two weeks later, a former legislative assistant to State Senator
Dave Murman publicly accused Herbster of groping her at the same event in which Slama accused Herbster of groping her.
Herbster filed a
defamation
Defamation is the act of communicating to a third party false statements about a person, place or thing that results in damage to its reputation. It can be spoken (slander) or written (libel). It constitutes a tort or a crime. The legal defini ...
lawsuit against Slama in the Johnson County District Court. Three days later, Slama filed a
countersuit against Herbster alleging that Herbster had committed
sexual battery
Battery is a criminal Offence (law), offense involving unlawful physical contact, distinct from assault which is the act of creating apprehension of such contact.
Battery is a specific common law offense, although the term is used more general ...
. Her lawyer called Herbster's lawsuit "a frivolous and bad faith attempt to bully a sexual assault victim into silence". In court papers, Slama gave specific and graphic details on how Herbster assaulted her in public and requested a jury trial.
Slama's lawyers sought to depose Herbster before the primary election, but Herbster's lawyers successfully delayed a deposition of their client in May 2022, and continued to resist a deposition in June 2022. Slama accused Herbster of waging a "prejudicial media war" against her.
Although Donald Trump continued to support Herbster in his run for governor after the allegations were made public, in April 2022 the "former president relayed word that Herbster wasn't fighting back hard enough" to dispel the assault allegations which encouraged Herbster to release video attack ads against Slama without directly mentioning her name.
In October 2022, Herbster and Slama dropped their lawsuits against one another.
Personal life
Herbster considers himself an
evangelical Christian.
While a student at the University of Nebraska, Herbster married fellow student Lorienne Gayle Smith in 1975. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1980.
In 1982, he married Judith Ann Wagg, whom he met through his work at Conklin Company. It was reported that Judith Herbster died on May 2, 2017.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Herbster, Charles
21st-century American businesspeople
21st-century American politicians
American chief executives
American evangelicals
American manufacturing businesspeople
American political fundraisers
Businesspeople from Nebraska
Christians from Nebraska
Living people
Nebraska Republicans
People from Falls City, Nebraska
Place of birth missing (living people)
Year of birth missing (living people)