Overview:
In 2023, Nebraska Secretary of State Robert B. Evnen personally negotiated and drafted legal agreements for a seven-figure business sale involving his son’s company. As first-generation immigrants, we trusted those agreements — and his public office — to ensure fairness.

But after the sale closed, our contractually promised franchise rights were denied. Two other franchise locations launched under the same agreement. When we tried to raise the issue, we were met with silence.

We filed a formal complaint with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission (NADC). It was dismissed without a hearing, without testimony, and without accountability—all while Secretary Evnen remained a sitting member of the Commission reviewing his own actions.

We are calling on the Nebraska Legislature, its Government Oversight Committee, and the NADC to open a public investigation and restore trust in the state’s ethical oversight process.

What happened:
We are first-generation Russian-Jewish immigrants. We spent over a decade building the Bergen County Debate Club (BCDC), an educational business serving immigrant and working-class families in New Jersey.

In 2023, we sold BCDC to Debate Coaching Academy (DCA), a company owned by Secretary Evnen’s son. Secretary Evnen personally negotiated and drafted the agreements through his longtime law firm, Woods Aitken, while holding public office as Nebraska’s Secretary of State. 

These agreements included franchise first-refusal rights, which were later granted to operators in Denver, CO and Livingston, NJ. But when we tried to open a location in our home community of Northern New Jersey, we were blocked—despite clear contractual terms.

Even more troubling, Secretary Evnen’s law firm later claimed his role was irrelevant—despite sworn court filings from his son confirming that he negotiated and drafted the documents.

 
What’s at stake:
We trusted a public official to honor his word and his work. When he helped structure this deal, we believed his public office and legal reputation meant something. But when problems emerged, those same credentials became a shield against accountability.

When we asked the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission for help, we expected fairness. Instead, we received no hearing, no questions, and no explanation.

 
What we’re asking:
We urge the Nebraska Legislature, its Government Oversight Committee, and the NADC to:

- Hold a public hearing into this matter;
- Ensure Secretary Evnen is fully recused from review;
- Allow witness testimony and documentation;
- Pursue reforms to prevent future conflicts of interest;
- Require public officials to disclose their involvement in private business deals.                              
 
Please sign and share this petition to support transparency, accountability, and the rights of immigrant-owned small businesses.

Sincerely,

Vlad Savransky

#EthicsMatter #PublicTrust #FranchiseRights #ImmigrantVoices #HoldEvnenAccountable #NoOneAboveTheLaw #NebraskaEthics #TransparencyNow