The Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska, Rick Sheehy, resigned from his political position on Saturday after the results of the Omaha World-Herald newspaper investigation revealed that the Republican who had a good shot at becoming the next governor of the state in 2014 had made thousands of improper cell phone calls to women – none of whom was his wife.
Sheehy, 53, reportedly made some 2,000 late-night calls to four females on his state-issued cell phone for over four years. More details of the investigation are due to come out on Sunday, but Governor Dave Heineman didn’t wait until Sunday to announce at a press conference on Saturday that Sheehy had resigned. The current governor would not say whether he had asked Sheehy to resign or whether Sheehy had resigned on his own.
The now ex-Lieutenant Governor’s wife of 28 years, Colleen Sheehy, reportedly filed for divorce last July. The divorce filing states that the marriage is irretrievably broken.
Gov. Heineman chose Sheehy – the former mayor of Hastings – as his running mate in 2006 when the two won by record-numbers. They were reelected in 2010. Heineman has already said that he won’t run for another term, and Sheehy – who has already said that he would run for the state’s top political post - was considered by many to have a good shot at being elected as the next governor of the state.
Heineman and Sheehy were elected to their first full term in 2006 and re-elected to a second term in 2010.
Dr. Theresa Hatcher, an emergency room doctor, was one of the four women who had been called frequently by Sheehy. She said that she had thought that she was the only one, but now admits that she was grossly mistaken.
Heineman will be actively looking for a new Lieutenant Governor to finish out Sheehy’s term on Monday.
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