Months following a well-publicized international mountain climb aimed at building political bridges, News Channel Nebraska has uncovered numerous questions, not the least of which involves five Nebraska lawmakers giving their public thumbs-up to a private company.

At the same time, we’ve discovered differing accounts of how the trip was paid for, key differences between the lawmakers’ official financial reports and what NCN has been told separately.

[View our special 2-part video report above]

But we begin with the post-climb publicity and the relationship between the five state senators and a Wisconsin nutritional supplement company, Standard Process, which tells NCN they got involved in the trip when one of the five, Republican State Sen. Ben Hansen, a Blair chiropractor and one of their customers, contacted them.

Having made the 19,341-foot climb to the top of Africa’s Mt. Kilimanjaro, Hansen, and his fellow climbers—Republican Senators Tom Brewer (Gordon, NE), Republican Dave Murman (Glenvil, NE), and two Democrats Justin Wayne (Omaha) and Anna Wishart (Lincoln)—are photographed holding the company’s banner emblazoned with the words “Standard Process Whole Food Nutrient Solutions.”

The picture is displayed on the company’s Facebook page, with this notation: 

 “There is nothing like the feeling of accomplishing a big goal to put you in the clouds! Congrats to Senators Ben Hansen, D.C., Anna Wishart, Justin Wayne, Dave Murman, and Colonel Tom Brewer for coming together to reach the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Dr. Hansen provided supplement recommendations for the group, and they flew our flag when they reached the peak! What are some big goals you have for this year?”

 

NCN has asked the five if they believe it is “legal and proper for public officials to advertise for a private company.”

Hansen, Murman, Wishart, and Wayne have not responded.

Brewer fired back an email stating, “Joe, I know you want to make something out of nothing, but it was a personal trip. I paid for all expenses. I could fly whatever or do whatever I wanted if it is my vacation."

Jack Gould with Common Cause Nebraska, a government watchdog, tells NCN, “I’m not sure you want to see your elected officials becoming sponsors or advertising for companies…If you open the door to it anything could happen. Senators could be selling used cars on television or going down to the Bahamas and advertising trips for a travel agency."

NCN’s Joe Jordan: "And it’s wrong because their job is to be an elected official and not to be a salesman for some private company?"

Gould: "Exactly."

Which brings us to questions of what, if any, payments were made to the five by Standard Process, questions that come with changing answers.

According to the lawmakers’ state-mandated “Statement of Financial Interests” filed earlier this year, all five received at least $1,001 from the company—state law requires lawmakers report any “gift” over $100, the state does not require a specific amount above that $1,001.

At one time or another, each lawmaker described that gift as a “pledge.”

Brewer: $1,001 or more. “Cost of flight sponsorship and pledged gift for supplements given for the Mt. Kilimanjaro climb.”

Hansen: $1,001 or more. “Pledged monies as sponsor for Mt. Kilimanjaro senator trip.”

Murman: In his initial report—dated Feb. 25—the Clay County lawmaker and retired dairy farmer listed no gifts, whatsoever. But according to the University of Nebraska, Murman received complimentary football tickets to last year’s Iowa-Nebraska game. The suite seating worth $120.00.

In an amended report postmarked Feb. 28, Murman still did not report his football tickets but did report receiving a gift of, “$1,001 or more” from Standard Process the “Producer and distributor of—High Quality Whole Food--Nutritional Supplements” adding, “Pledge to reimburse flight expense to Mt. Kilimanjaro.”

Wishart: “$1,001” or more. A “pledge” from Standard Process for “sponsor of flight cost to Kilimanjaro.”

Wayne: “$1,001 or more” from Standard Process for “Climb sponsorship.”

As for the official filings from Brewer, Hansen, Murman and Wishart which listed their gift of “$1,001 or more” as a “pledge, NCN has asked the state’s ethics gatekeeper to explain a “pledged” gift.

Frank Daley, the head of the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, tells NCN, “Under gifts I don’t know what it means.”

During the past few months NCN repeatedly asked all five lawmakers, “What the trip cost, did they pay any of the expenses and what was the actual amount of the gift from Standard Process?”

Only Brewer has responded on the record, telling NCN that initially the company was going to pay, until things changed.

“I did not receive any payment from Standard Process,” wrote Brewer on May 16. “Originally there was an offer to support the climb, but we decided to keep the climb personally financed.”

At first Standard Process told NCN the company, “Provided each climber $1,300 for their flights. We also provided supplements and Possible Bars.”

Six hours later the company updated its statement, that it just “learned that the checks for the $1,300 were never actually sent to the climbers, due to an error made by our accounting team.”

The lawmakers’ financial statements—which if filed “knowing that information is false” are a Class IV Felony—were submitted in late February and early March, and have not been updated.

Leaving Jack Gould scratching his head, “What’s the full amount of money involved?, asks the government watchdog. 

As for Standard Process, the spokesperson tells NCN, “There are no additional partnership activities planned with the climbers.”

Below are copies of NCN’s email exchanges with Standard Process (with signatures containing contact information removed):

From: Joe Jordan 
Sent: Tuesday, June 7, 2022 10:27 AM
To: Horneck, Kim 
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: Standard Process Questions

Kim-

I appreciate your getting back to me so promptly.

Here are my initial questions regarding the Mt. Kilimanjaro trip by five Nebraska State Senators:

  1. How did the company first get involved in the trip?
  2. What amounts, if any, has Standard Process paid to each lawmaker and for what purpose (i.e., air fare, hotel, food, the climb itself). Please be as specific as possible. If no payments have been made has the company pledged certain amounts which are still forthcoming?
  3. Does Standard Process have a business relationship with Senator Hansen? Does he recommend or dispense the company's supplements as part of his chiropractic practice?
  4. A website, Quack Watch, which bills itself as “Your guide to Quackery, Health Fraud, and Intelligent Decisions" has this to say about your company: 

“Standard Process products have been promoted with dubious claims for more than 50 years. After the company and its founder were prosecuted for criminal misbranding, the claims gradually became less traceable to the company. The products have been promoted for many conditions that are outside the legitimate scope of the practitioners (mainly chiropractors) who prescribe them. I advise people to avoid both the products and anyone who sells them.”  

Does the company have any comment on the Quack Watch statement? 

 

From: Horneck, Kim
Sent: Wednesday, June 8, 2022, 10:26 AM
To: Joe Jordan

Hello Joe,

Please see my responses below.  Thank you.

Kind regards,

Kim

 

 

  1. How did the company first get involved in the trip?

Dr. Ben Hansen reached out to us.

  1. What amounts, if any, has Standard Process paid to each lawmaker and for what purpose (i.e., air fare, hotel, food, the climb itself). Please be as specific as possible. If no payments have been made has the company pledged certain amounts which are still forthcoming?

Standard Process provided each climber $1,300 for their flights.  We also provided supplements and Possible Bars.  There are no additional partnership activities planned with the climbers.

  1. Does Standard Process have a business relationship with Senator Hansen? Does he recommend or dispense the company's supplements as part of his chiropractic practice?

Hansen Chiropractic Wellness Center is a customer of Standard Process.  They have been an account of ours since 2007. 

  1. A website, Quack Watch, which bills itself as “Your guide to Quackery, Health Fraud, and     Intelligent Decisions" has this to say about your company: 

“Standard Process products have been promoted with dubious claims for more than 50 years. After the company and its founder were prosecuted for criminal misbranding, the claims gradually became less traceable to the company. The products have been promoted for many conditions that are outside the legitimate scope of the practitioners (mainly chiropractors) who prescribe them. I advise people to avoid both the products and anyone who sells them.”  

       Does the company have any comment on the Quack Watch statement?

Standard Process is committed to clinical science that advances health and changes lives through whole food-based nutritional supplements. Every product claim is backed by scientifically based evidence, and every product is subject to a rigorous quality control program including FDA inspections. What’s more, Standard Process continues to elevate this commitment by investing in its Nutrition Innovation Center, a clinical research facility, as well as advanced technologies on its certified organic farm. From seed to supplement, Standard Process is driven by the highest of standards in safety, purity, and efficacy.

  

From: Horneck, Kim
Sent: Wednesday, June 8, 2022, 4:14:37 PM
To: Joe Jordan
Subject: FW: [EXTERNAL] Re: Standard Process Questions

Hello Joe,

I want to update the answers that I provided you earlier today.  I learned that the checks for the $1300 were never actually sent to the climbers, due to an error made by our accounting team.  I reached out to Dr. Hansen.  Now that the trip is over, he requested that Standard Process make a donation to Mosaic instead.