LINCOLN — A political spat erupted over a six-month-old video circulating on social media that shows Taylor Gage, then Gov. Pete Ricketts’ communications director, uprooting a yard sign promoting Charles W. Herbster for governor and tossing it into a dumpster.

Tyler Henningsen, who had worked for the Herbster campaign until August, said that the short video was a “set-up” and “dirty trick” by the Herbster camp to show that Gage — who resigned from his role with the governor earlier this month to work as executive director of the Nebraska Republican Party — and the Ricketts administration oppose Herbster’s candidacy.

Tyler Henningsen was working as a political director on the Herbster campaign in June. While dropping off signs at a Ricketts 30 for 30 land conservation rally, Henningsen was asked to put up Herbster signs outside the event.

Taylor Gage asked that they be removed since they were on public property. Henningsen removed the signs and informed his boss. Henningsen was then instructed to put the signs back up, following this Gage is recorded uprooting the Herbster signs.

“It was definitely a set-up,” Henningsen said in an interview.

He said he had told Gage about the video a month or two ago and apologized for his role in it, then texted him recently when the video was posted by the Nebraska Freedom Coalition, a conservative group.

In a text message responding to questions, Gage said that he had told Henningsen outside of the 30-by-30 rally that the Herbster contingent could attend the event, but could not campaign at it. Gage said he gave the same instructions to an animal rights group that was attempting to hand out leaflets at the governor’s town hall.

He emphasized that the Nebraska Republican Party is neutral in the GOP primary for governor, “and I have reached out to establish lines of communication with each of the announced candidates.”

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