Jon Cumberland Bruning (born April 30, 1969) is an American politician who served as the 32nd
Attorney General of Nebraska
The Nebraska Attorney General is the chief law enforcement officer and lawyer for the U.S. state of Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the e ...
from 2003 to 2015. A member of the
Republican Party, he previously represented the 3rd district in the
Nebraska Legislature
The Nebraska Legislature (also called the Unicameral) is the legislature of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln. With 49 members, known as "senators", the Nebraska Legislature is the small ...
from 1997 until 2003. He was a candidate in the
2012 United States Senate election in Nebraska
The 2012 United States Senate election in Nebraska took place on November 6, 2012, concurrently with the 2012 U.S. presidential election as well as other elections to the United States Senate and House of Representatives and various state and ...
, losing the Republican nomination to
Deb Fischer
Debra Lynelle Fischer (; born March 1, 1951) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Nebraska, a seat she has held since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Fischer was the first woman elected to a full ter ...
and in the
2014 Nebraska gubernatorial election, also losing the nomination to
Pete Ricketts
John Peter Ricketts (born August 19, 1964) is an American politician serving as the 40th governor of Nebraska since 2015. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Ricketts is the son of Joe Ricketts, founder of TD Ameritrade. He is also, with o ...
.
Early life, education and legal career
Bruning was born and raised in
Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Lancaster County. The city covers with a population of 292,657 in 2021. It is the second-most populous city in Nebraska and the 73rd-largest in the United Sta ...
, a fifth generation Nebraskan, and graduated from
Lincoln Southeast High School. After high school, Bruning went on to the
University of Nebraska
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
where he received a Bachelor's degree in 1990 with High Distinction. Bruning was a member of
Phi Beta Kappa
The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...
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
The University of Nebraska College of Law is one of the professional graduate schools of University of Nebraska system. It was founded in 1888 and became part of University of Nebraska in 1891. According to Nebraska's official 2017 ABA-required di ...
, where he received his
Juris Doctor
The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law
and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...
in 1994.
In 1995, Bruning married Deonne Niemack; the couple has two children, Lauren and Jack.
Bruning served as
general counsel
A general counsel, also known as chief counsel or chief legal officer (CLO), is the chief in-house lawyer for a company or a governmental department.
In a company, the person holding the position typically reports directly to the CEO, and their ...
for Vital Learning Corporation from 1995 to 1997.
Political career
Nebraska Legislature
Bruning ran to represent the 3rd district of the
Nebraska Legislature
The Nebraska Legislature (also called the Unicameral) is the legislature of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln. With 49 members, known as "senators", the Nebraska Legislature is the small ...
in 1996. He defeated incumbent
Michael Avery
Michael Avery is a professor at Suffolk University Law School and a civil rights lawyer. He was the president of the National Lawyers Guild from 2003 to 2006.
He is currently the President of the Board of the National Police Accountability Proje ...
55%–44%. 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. He won re-election in 2000 unopposed.
Attorney General
Bruning was elected
Attorney General of Nebraska
The Nebraska Attorney General is the chief law enforcement officer and lawyer for the U.S. state of Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the e ...
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 reelection unopposed in 2006 and 2010.
In 2004, he worked with the Nebraska Legislature to create Nebraska’s Medicaid Fraud Unit. The Medicaid Fraud Unit recovered more than $20 million in 2012 and nearly $68 million since 2004.
In 2005, Bruning launched a criminal probe of University of Nebraska Regent David Hergert related to campaign finances. In the same year, he charged a 20-year-old man with rape after his 14-year-old wife became pregnant.
He served as President of the National Association of Attorneys General from 2009 to 2010. He traveled to Iraq as President of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) and signed training agreement with Iraq Jurists Union.
During a speech in August 2011, Bruning compared welfare recipients to
raccoon
The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...
s. Bruning said his comment might have been "inartful" but that he was trying to make a point about spending cuts being necessary.
In August 2011, the ''
Omaha World-Herald
The ''Omaha World-Herald'' is a daily newspaper in the midwestern United States, the primary newspaper of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area. It was locally owned from its founding in 1885 until 2020, when it was sold to the newspaper ch ...
'' reported that Bruning had purchased a lakeside house valued at $675,000 near the
Platte River
The Platte River () is a major river in the State of Nebraska. It is about long; measured to its farthest source via its tributary, the North Platte River, it flows for over . The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, which itself ...
in partnership with two
Nelnet
Nelnet, Inc., is a United States-based conglomerate that deals in the administration and repayment of student loans and education financial services. The company is headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The company provides a range of products t ...
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
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the s ...
when Nelnet was under fire for alleged improper business practices.
In 2012, Bruning sued the Federal government of the United States over the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Presi ...
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.
In 2013, Bruning was fined a $19,000 civil penalty by the
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency of the United States whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Cam ...
for campaign finance violations during his 2012 U.S. Senate election effort.
In late 2014, Bruning, together with Oklahoma Attorney General
Scott Pruitt
Edward Scott Pruitt (born May 9, 1968) is an American lawyer, lobbyist and Republican politician from the state of Oklahoma. He served as the fourteenth Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from February 17, 2017, to Jul ...
, filed a suit in the
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
in which they asked that Colorado's
Amendment 64, which legalized marijuana in that state, be struck down. Bruning and Pruitt argued that the Colorado measure violated the
Supremacy Clause
The Supremacy Clause of the Constitution of the United States ( Article VI, Clause 2) establishes that the Constitution, federal laws made pursuant to it, and treaties made under its authority, constitute the "supreme Law of the Land", and thu ...
of the U.S. Constitution, since the U.S. Congress had enacted the 1970
Controlled Substances Act
The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) is the statute establishing federal government of the United States, federal drug policy of the United States, U.S. drug policy under which the manufacture, importation, possession, use, and distribution of ...
, which imposed a nationwide ban on marijuana. In connection with the suit, Bruning declared that marijuana was a "
gateway drug
The gateway drug effect (alternatively, stepping-stone theory, escalation hypothesis, or progression hypothesis) is a comprehensive catchphrase for the often observed effect that the use of a psychoactive substance is coupled to an increased probab ...
that is a detriment to society" and that "I don't want it to be a legal option for my children or your option or anyone's children in this state or in this country."
Bruning left office as Nebraska Attorney General with the inauguration of his successor,
Doug Peterson, on January 8, 2015.
U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections
In 2007, Bruning entered the
race
Race, RACE or "The Race" may refer to:
* Race (biology), an informal taxonomic classification within a species, generally within a sub-species
* Race (human categorization), classification of humans into groups based on physical traits, and/or s ...
for the U.S. Senate seat then held by
Chuck Hagel
Charles Timothy Hagel ( born October 4, 1946)[Mike Johanns
Michael Owen Johanns ( ; born June 18, 1950) is an American attorney and politician who served as a United States Senator from Nebraska from 2009 to 2015. He served as the 38th governor of Nebraska from 1999 until 2005, and was chair of the Mi ...]
joined the race for the now-open seat. Faced with an overwhelming likelihood that Johanns would win the Republican primary, Bruning withdrew from the campaign almost a year before the election.
In late 2010, Bruning announced that he would run in the
2012 election for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat
Ben Nelson
Earl Benjamin Nelson (born May 17, 1941) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who served as the 37th governor of Nebraska from 1991 to 1999 and as a United States Senator from Nebraska from 2001 to 2013. He is a member of the De ...
, whose approval ratings in Nebraska had plummeted after he provided the 60th and final vote necessary to break a Republican filibuster and pass the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Presi ...
. In December 2011, Nelson announced that he would not seek reelection. Bruning was seen as the strong front-runner in the Republican primary race; former Attorney General and current State Treasurer
Don Stenberg
Don Stenberg (born September 30, 1948) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 31st Attorney General of Nebraska from 1991 to 2003 and 43rd Treasurer of Nebraska from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously ...
, favored by the conservative
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement was an American fiscally conservative political movement within the Republican Party that began in 2009. Members of the movement called for lower taxes and for a reduction of the national debt and federal budget defic ...
, was seen as his strongest challenger. Bruning and Stenberg attacked one another aggressively throughout the campaign. Shortly before the election, the
political action committee Ending Spending, financed by Omaha businessman
Joe Ricketts
John Joseph Ricketts (born July 16, 1941) is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder, former CEO and former chairman of TD Ameritrade. He has a net worth of US$2.7 billion according to ''Forbes''. He has pursued a variety of ...
, ran a television ad attacking Bruning for buying a lake house together with two executives of Lincoln student-loan firm
Nelnet
Nelnet, Inc., is a United States-based conglomerate that deals in the administration and repayment of student loans and education financial services. The company is headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The company provides a range of products t ...
less than a year after Bruning, in his capacity as attorney general, had sought to waive a $1 million penalty against the company. In the primary election, voters delivered an unexpected victory to dark-horse candidate
Deb Fischer
Debra Lynelle Fischer (; born March 1, 1951) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Nebraska, a seat she has held since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Fischer was the first woman elected to a full ter ...
, who won 41% of the vote to Bruning's 36% and Stenberg's 19%.
["Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers of the State of Nebraska: Primary Election, May 15, 2012"]
p. 15.
Retrieved 2015-02-10.
In 2014, Governor
Dave Heineman
David Eugene Heineman (born May 12, 1948) is an American politician who served as the 39th governor of Nebraska from 2005 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he previously was the 39th treasurer of Nebraska from 1995 to 2001 and 37th li ...
was barred by Nebraska's term-limits law from running for a third consecutive term. In February of that year, Bruning announced that he would seek the governorship, joining the five candidates who had already declared. His entry into the
race
Race, RACE or "The Race" may refer to:
* Race (biology), an informal taxonomic classification within a species, generally within a sub-species
* Race (human categorization), classification of humans into groups based on physical traits, and/or s ...
, although it came late, made him the perceived front-runner, supplanting Omaha businessman
Pete Ricketts
John Peter Ricketts (born August 19, 1964) is an American politician serving as the 40th governor of Nebraska since 2015. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Ricketts is the son of Joe Ricketts, founder of TD Ameritrade. He is also, with o ...
.
[Tsyver, Robynn.]
"Attorney General Jon Bruning to run for Nebraska governor".
''Omaha World-Herald''.
2014-02-09. Retrieved 2015-02-10. In the course of the campaign, two groups that declined to name their donors purchased $1.3 million in television ads attacking Bruning, who accused Ricketts and his father Joe Ricketts of funding the groups, charges which Ricketts denied. Ricketts won the primary election, with 26.6% of the vote to Bruning's 25.5%; State Senator
Beau McCoy received 20.9% and State Auditor
Mike Foley 19.2%.
"Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers of the State of Nebraska: Primary Election, May 13, 2014"
pp. 19–20.
Retrieved 2015-02-10.
Electoral history
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bruning, Jon
1969 births
Living people
Nebraska Attorneys General
Nebraska lawyers
Republican Party Nebraska state senators
Tea Party movement activists
Politicians from Lincoln, Nebraska
University of Nebraska–Lincoln alumni