LINCOLN- During the confirmation hearing for Governor Jim Pillen's appointee, Matthew McCarville, as the state’s chief information officer, lawmakers scrutinized his ability to remain politically neutral following a controversial email. McCarville, who previously worked in information technology at the University of Colorado, apologized for the email, which encouraged state employees to participate in a legislative hearing on Pillen’s tax plan, calling it an accidental mistake. Despite his self-reporting to the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission and assurances that such an incident would not recur, concerns about political favoritism and potential misuse of public resources were raised, with the committee taking no immediate action on his nomination.

State Senator Danielle Conrad filed a complaint, accusing McCarville of using public resources to distribute campaign materials, which she argued was part of a series of inappropriate actions by Pillen's administration. The email, which shared a social media post from Pillen’s campaign and encouraged employee participation in the tax plan hearing, was seen by some committee members as potentially pressuring staff. McCarville maintained that the intention was simply to inform staff about the hearing due to office chatter, not to advocate a position, and emphasized that he would avoid any conflicts of interest in his role.

Committee members, including State Sens. Megan Hunt and Jane Raybould, expressed skepticism and concern over the implications of the email for employee treatment and contract award processes. McCarville reassured the committee that he would ensure no partisan bias influenced his decisions and highlighted his goals of modernizing state websites, improving data-sharing, and updating state systems. His appointment remains pending formal legislative approval, with his past work and qualifications discussed alongside the contentious email incident.

For the full article click HERE