LA VISTA — Four Nebraska state senators announced a fundraising effort Tuesday to cover potential legal costs for any women or witnesses who might come forward with credible allegations of sexual impropriety by gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster. State Sens. Lou Ann Linehan, Joni Albrecht, Suzanne Geist and Rita Sanders emphasized their support for their colleague, Sen. Julie Slama. Each reiterated her belief that Slama was telling the truth when she said Herbster groped her in 2019.

“Julie is not here, but the five of us are often together on issues,” Linehan said. “We’re the only five Republican women on the floor. It makes this kind of a small but important little club. … We have each others’ backs.”

Geist and Albrecht said they have received a letter from Herbster’s legal team telling them to preserve documents in preparation for a possible lawsuit, after they and the 11 other women in the Nebraska Legislature signed a letter calling on Herbster to quit the governor’s race. Geist said any time the justice system is used to secure silence from people for telling the truth, it hurts sexual assault survivors and, in turn, the entire state.

“I won’t be intimidated into silence, and I won’t stand for any attempt to silence survivors and witnesses of this sexual assault,” Geist said. “It’s reprehensible.”

All four senators acknowledged they have endorsed Herbster rival Jim Pillen for governor. They stressed that their action in establishing a defense fund is “not about politics.”

“It’s about sending a message loud and clear that survivors and witnesses won’t be bullied or intimidated into silence in our state,” Sanders said.

Geist said Herbster’s actions could have a chilling effect on victims of any sexual assault.

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