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Nati Harnik / Associated Press photo
Nebraska Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy resigned Saturday. Last July, his wife filed for divorce after nearly 29 years of marriage. Her divorce filing stated the "marriage of the parties is irretrievably broken."
LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy resigned abruptly Saturday in a scandal involving thousands of calls to four women on his state-issued cellphone, including one woman who said she had a romantic relationship with the politician.
Gov. Dave Heineman announced Sheehy's resignation in a hastily called news conference Saturday morning. Sheehy, a Republican, had been considered the front-runner in the 2014 gubernatorial race and had been endorsed by Heineman.
"As public officials, we are rightly held to a higher standard," Heineman said. "I had trusted him, and that trust was broken."
Sheehy resigned after questions were raised about the cellphone calls with four women, none of whom were his wife, who filed for divorce last year. The calls, made over the last four years, were first reported by the Omaha World-Herald, which had made a public records request for Sheehy's phone records.
Records released Saturday by the governor's office show Sheehy made thousands of late-night phone calls to the women. He spoke with some of the women numerous times a day in conversations that lasted anywhere from a few minutes to more than an hour, according to the records.
One woman he frequently called, Dr. Theresa Hatcher of Bellevue, told The Associated Press that she and Sheehy had maintained a long-term relationship after they met at a convention of emergency responders in Texas in 2008. As lieutenant governor, Sheehy leads the state's emergency management efforts, and Hatcher is an emergency room doctor.
"I thought I was the only one," she said. "Apparently, I was grossly mistaken."
Hatcher said she last talked to Sheehy about two weeks ago. She added: "Politicians can lie. Doctors don't lie."
Another woman Sheehy frequently called has had an apartment in Lincoln, the state capital. Her name appeared on a call box outside the building Saturday, but a man who answered the door said she didn't live there.
'Deeply disappointed'
Sheehy was the mayor of Hastings before Heineman selected him as his running mate. They were elected by a record margin to their first full term in 2006 and re-elected in 2010.
Asked for his reaction Saturday, Heineman said, "I've got a knot in my stomach. I'm deeply disappointed."
Heineman said he doubted Sheehy would run for the governor's office now.
"And no, I would not support him under the circumstances," Heineman said.
Sheehy did not appear at the news conference, and his state-issued cellphone was disconnected. A phone call to Sheehy's office went unanswered, and a message was not immediately returned.
Last July, Sheehy's wife, Connie Sheehy, filed for divorce after nearly 29 years of marriage. Her divorce filing stated the "marriage of the parties is irretrievably broken."
Heineman declined to answer questions about what had occurred that led Sheehy to resign. He also would not say whether he asked Sheehy to resign or if Sheehy acted on his own.
Heineman said he will begin the process Monday of looking for a new lieutenant governor.
If something were to happen to Heineman before he selects a new lieutenant governor, Republican Speaker of the Legislature Greg Adams would ascend to the governor's post.
Sheehy's announcement shakes up an already turbulent 2014 governor's race. Another Republican candidate, former Nebraska Speaker of the Legislature Mike Flood, entered the race briefly but withdrew in December after his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. State Sen. Charlie Janssen of Fremont, a Republican, has also said he is leaning toward running.
Several Democrats have signaled an interest in running, including University of Nebraska Regent Chuck Hassebrook and Nebraska state Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha. In recent weeks, party activists have also approached state Sen. Annette Dubas, of Fullerton.
Sheehy changed his Twitter account settings to private before Heineman's press conference. Shortly after, his account appeared to have been deleted.
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I get so sick of these people being elected to office..(the stupidity of the public) and then thinking it is a whore house and piggybank for them to play in...get him out.
theQ5454, i couldn't agree more. but, you are simply describing every american (the problem isn't exclusively american, though) politician. sadly, we, the people have allowed these corrupt, career politicians to construct this fun house for themselves, and allow them to remain there forever -- unless, on rarest of occasions, one of them is exposed like this clown, who will be happily sacrificed by the remaining cronies of both parties, whose fun times and pillage will just continue.
@Single
It isn't exclusively politicians. People are only as faithful as their current options. Politicians have tend to have copious options. Great Grandma and Great Grandpa married faithfully for 60 years because they were their only options. I know that sounds jaded, and I know it isn't necessarily true for everyone, but those people are becoming the exception to the rule.
people should learn to use disposable phones. even al qaeda had enough sense to use one of those.
"Even" Al Qaida? The group that planned and carried out the most successful terrorist attack on US soil? The group that managed to get the most powerful nation on earth to destroy their own economy? Apparenty they "even" had more sense than the United States of America with all their spies and high tech equipment
How is it possible for seemingly intelligent people to be so stupid???? What is with these guys? (and yes, it is almost always guys)
homesick yank,
i missed it in the article. to what are you referring when you suggest that this dumbass, two-bit politician seemed intelligent? and, are you homesick for people like these political "leaders"? Just curious.
Good thing nebraska passed that law against gays marrying. We have to defend the morality of this country! lol.
Infidelity is apparently more fatal to a politician's career than is drug use or influence peddling.
Let me guess: This is Obama's fault for "taking away our guns" -- right, tea-tards?
Ah those repuke family values on display.
For you idiot liberals--Sheehy's wife filed for divorce last year, so any immoral activities you are suggesting he made from that point on is moot because he was technically a single man. His activities involved a government paid phone to women. Menendez was having sex with a 16 year which internationally is illegal and which morally is disgusting. Menendez also was fully aware that one of his staffers was an illegal immigrant--illegal and that illegal immigrant was on a sex offender list--again morally disgusting and Menendez knew this before the November elections but refused to disclose it to his voters--dispicable.
The difference is the irony of the GOP, who always seems to be lecturing us and passing laws about "morality"..when a prominent GOP figure is caught with his pants down...its extra funny. :)
Barb210, do you have reading-comprehension problems? He started having an affair with a doc in 2008, what year was it Sheehy's wife filed for divorce LAST YEAR, 2012? Put the idiot mirror down and back away slowly...
Fantommutt--do you have reading-comprehension problems?
nuf said dumbarse.
Barb: But you right wing nuts all have family values and dont do things like that. Dude was doing it for 4 years with 4 women and divorced 1 year.
Barb210, he cheated on his wife, period, but you don't have a problem with that, just the time-line 'afterward the divorce?' How quaint...
barb: you're right, the lt. gov was "only" 80% of a republican ass because he "only" cheated on his wife 4 out of 5 years. thanks for clarifying that. :)
barb: "Idiot liberals"? Define 'liberal'. Not your personal hysterical version - the one the rest of the world uses. (ref Encarta) By the way, who was this guy incessantly calling? His barber? Who knows?
The calls were over a four year period. So yes he was engaged in immoral activity.
Let's see JFK to many girls list, Brother Ted let his girlfriend drown, Bill Clinton a poor mans JFK, John Edwards under cover daddy, Elliott Spitzer well it was only prostitutes, John Corzine just a crook, Congressman look at my Weiner, And this allows the Dems to claim the high moral ground please spare me.
We don't know about Obama's extracurricular activities because the liberal media is so in love with him. He does spend a lot of time in Colorado and now in Las Vegas--so who knows.
right, 100% of the media is liberal. There are no conservatives who could have spotted these activities.
Its all a conspiracy I tell ya! lol.
But I love comments like "so who knows"...when you have no actual facts, just suggest things based purely on hate. lol.
Good grief, in today's age you can't fart without it showing up on youtube.
Let's see...Larry Craig...etc.etc.etc., Diaper Me Dan Vitter, Newt Gingrich, Rush Limbagh etc. etc. etc. Ket;s not leave out the anti-abortion legislator in Tenn. who has ordered both his wife AND his girlfriend to get abortions....
Vermontgay--Sorry but I have no actual facts of JFK, Clinton, Teddie K., Weiner, or John Edwards extra marital activities because I was not there. However, the media is to report stories based on information they have, not hide them because they have their heads so far up a politician's arse.
Oh and Gerrrrry--Dems are the political parties for abortions because when their mistresses get knocked up they can get it aborted and save their political career, if not they become Chandra Levy.
Barb210, you seem to have taken wonderful lessons from the (Lack of Facts) Fox (Entertainment) News...'Some people say,' 'I've heard,' 'There's a story going around...' Congrats!
Barb210, btw, have you conveniently forgotten the TENN GOP anti-abortion dude whose own wife had gotten several abortions? Better re-arrange those blinders...
barb: vermontGAY? lol, are you 12 years old? :)
again, your post boils down to "I hate obama, I hate liberals, let me whine about them". :)
As I posted above, all you have is "so who knows"..lol. How lame is that? :)
Fantommutt--great come back with the Fox thing. Fox scares the bejeebies outta liberals and especially Obama and Gore--because those two wimps are afraid to have to be asked the tough questions. For the record I watch all news sources and I like Scott Pelley a lot, and have been a fan of Brian Williams for years.
VermontGUY--scuse me. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz and blah blah blah to your extra reply--it still has zero substance to it and is just a repeat from your original post.
right, I repeated my original post because you didn't address it. lol.
"zero substance"? then apparently you can justify your post easily. lol. Kindly explain how in this country with all the media blah blah blah somehow obama is sneaking around? Do you have ANY facts to suggest it..or just your hate leading to stupid posts like "so who knows"?
the irony is that "so who knows" is the ULTIMATE example of "zero substance". :)
Barb210, Fox eats their own, nothing for Obama to be worried about. You only the other hand should be checked for mental instability, but don't ask the GOP for therapy since they keep cutting funding for mental healthcare because they believe it's 'discretionary spending.'
Another quality, squeaky clean looking republican.
Guess now that he has free time on his hands he can go work for a 900 phone line company, you know the kind where you call in to have romantic "chats".
Hmm...wondering why their anti-gay marriage ammendment didn't protect this guy's marriage. I mean, we were told that was th epurpose of the ammendment. I simply don't understand why he divorce rate remains to high in the states with this ammendment, while in Massachusetts - the first state to allow gay marriage - the divorce rate is the LOWEST in the nation. What does the marriage ammendment actually do except make people whose lives can be hard already just a little harder?
I think it's about time we start treating politicians and authority figures the same way they treat us, the general population. Guilty until prooven other wise. Liars until the truth is exposed.
Just one more government pervert among many government perverts.
What is perverted about arranging 4 dates with women ,if you are a man.Had he been a guy arranging 4 dates with other men,you would be condenming others for sticking their noses in the poor mans business and at the same time declaring,it was necessasry for him to use the state's fone because it would keep his homosexual liasons ,a secret.
@mas Thousands of calls to multiple women over the same time period on the states dime and none of the women were his wife. I would say the same if it were men too, if he was still married.
Whenever one of these stories appear as "news",it is always the same method of reporting.If it is a republican,mention that fact in no later than the second paragraph.If it is a dimocrap,weasle around that fact and only insert the party affiliation if it is demanded and only in the waning paragraphs.The man used his state given fone to arrange dates,so what?There are 10 million Obama fones out there right now and a portion of them are likely being used for illicite actions.Obama fones can be used anywhere in the contenintal USA.What's the difference?
What maso, you didn't have a problem with millions of free Bush phones, but you do now with millions of free Obama phones? What's the difference?
What maso, you didn't have a problem with millions of free Bush phones, but you do now with millions of free Obama phones? What's the difference?
The GOP is sending this guy to Dr. Bachmann's* clinic for therapy.
Michele Bachmann's "husband"
She added: "Politicians can lie. Doctors don't lie." LOLOL Now...THAT'S a good one!
Ahhh...I know quite a FEW doctors who lie all the time...Don't act so high and mighty missy!
And she is acting all morally superior -- after admitting that she carried on an affair with a married man for four years!
Is he one of those "I have family values and you dont" polticians?
The GOP has never been 'God's Party,' but it certainly has become the 'Horny Party.' Older men don't need viagra any more; they just need to join the GOP and run for political office. Never leave your women folk alone around a Republican.
One name for you! Senator Menendez of NJ!LIkes his little very young girls,according to the FBI!
I wouldn't use the term "horny party" without reflecting on the past deeds of Clinton,Kennedy(all three) and Barnie Frank(me in my butt).
Blinded by the light? Close yours eyes, stick your head in the sand and tell me, when was the last time a dummycrat admitted guilt? We are all horny little buddy, it's what we do to correct bad moves which make us men or liberals. Even a dog can get booty, that is no big deal. Ok, now you can remove your head from the sand. Duh, that was sand you had your head in right?
maso: Are you familiar with the term "desperation"?
Looks like another GOP wanted his 'teabags' played with. What else is new.
How about Barnie FRank letting a whore house be run from his N.Y. apartment?Naw! That was nothing!Right?
@Maso when are you going to stop pointing fingers at the other party and take responsibility? Yes there are scum bags on both sides. But analysis of the last 60 years show that Republicans are scandalous more frequently than Dems, Dems just have bigger scandals when they are naughty.
What a dirtbag. The only good thing I see out of this is his resignation. Why? It gives liberals something to ponder, once again just as Democtats, a Republican was caught. The differance? He resigned rather than lie in the face of scandle. Have a few Republicans tried to lie their way out? Yes, but far more if not all dummycrats try to lie their way out rather than standing tall and taking it like a man. Bill, John, John, uh, need I go on? Just another situation where these liberals can learn through example. LMAO, stupid is as stupid does!!!
"held to a higher standard" --little ole lowwer case worker me, given a cell phone for work,does not make personal calls on it. what the hell is wrong with yoyu idiots. elected to public office--do you think that means the door is thrown open for you grab anything you can lay your hands on. and it's not just republican or just democrat( get over the dam political jousting), it's all of them. they're well off to wealthy to begin with, but by god, they'll give themselves a raise every year (automatically--and that's kicked back in now) and they'll take trips, hire hookers, etc. , all with public money, your money, because you elected them or someone they hired. AND YOU KEEP ELECTING THEM, NO MATTER HOW MUCH THEY LIE AND CHEAT AND STEAL, BECAUSE THEY MUST BE SOETHING SPECIAL. WELL TAKE A GOOD LOOK.
This guy is a piker compared to Sen.Menendez of N.J.Menendez not only had $1000 per shot hookers,he got to fly down to D.R in a private Lear Jet.I understand he had a predilection for very young and underage girls;Girls in the 12 to 15 year old range.
The dems are a party of gay sex.
you are the party of stupid, hateful posts. :)
and the GOP is the party of secret, deviant gay sex in public restrooms. Soooooo when your house is made of glass, you probably ought to put away the stones.
How do you obtain this information Sucks?
So his wife filed for divorce a year ago and the guy is playing the field. So what? He should pay for the phone calls--if that is what everyone is up in arms about. He cheated on his wife, they're getting a divorce because of it. I see no reason to destroy his career over it. Was it right? Nooooo. He's a politician, not a saint.
But cookie, the GOP pride themselves as being 'saintly,' the party of 'family values,' the 'Moral Majority,' the 'Right' party. Strange that the party with 'cocks crowing' about morals all the time are the same ones who time and again are shown to be nothing more than charlatans, and then publicly say they asked God for forgiveness and are sent back to public office with the help of their unwavering, faithful, and moral voting block...