Press releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 1, 2026
Rape Victim Calls on Senator Ricketts to Apologize for Pardoning Her Attacker
Today, Nebraska Values PAC is also releasing a documentary that shares Jody’s full story.
Nebraskan Jody Snogren is asking Senator Ricketts to apologize for pardoning her rapist without even giving her the opportunity to testify at his hearing. Earlier this week, Nebraska Values PAC released a new informational campaign sharing Jody’s story. Yesterday, Ricketts responded to press questions about the pardon saying, “I made the best decision I could based on the information I had at the time.” Ricketts also said “his record shows that he protects Nebraskans.” In response to Ricketts’ comments, Jody is now calling on the Senator to formally apologize.
“Pete Ricketts says he protects Nebraskans, but he didn’t protect me. He put my rapist’s rights before mine,” said Jody in a statement. “I was never even given the chance to testify at my attacker’s pardon hearing, and it’s incredibly painful that the Senator is refusing to take responsibility for that. Pete Ricketts has had years to apologize to me and my children for not allowing our voices to be heard, and, while he apparently has time to get back to reporters, we’ve never heard a word from him.”
Snogren learned that her attacker had been pardoned through the local news in 2022. The Ricketts administration did not inform Jody that the pardon was under consideration nor that the hearing was taking place, even though she had a legal right to testify. She spoke out at the time, but never heard from Ricketts.
Today, Nebraska Values PAC is also releasing a full-length video that shares Jody’s entire story. In 1993, Jody’s estranged husband, John Arias, broke into her home, threatened her at knifepoint, tied her to a bed, and repeatedly sexually assaulted her while their two young sons, ages 5 and 7, were in the next room. In September 2022, then-Governor Pete Ricketts cast the deciding vote to pardon Arias, removing him from the sex offender registry and restoring his gun and voting rights. The documentary may be viewed at the website RickettsPardon.com.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 29, 2026
Senator Ricketts Pardoned a Convicted Rapist, the Victim is Speaking Out
Jody Snogren was never given the chance to testify at her rapist’s pardon hearing, so she’s sharing her story now all across Nebraska.
Nebraskan Jody Snogren is speaking out against Senator Pete Ricketts for pardoning the man who pled guilty to raping her. In 1993, Jody’s estranged husband, John Arias, broke into her home, threatened her at knifepoint, tied her to a bed, and repeatedly sexually assaulted her while their two young sons, ages 5 and 7, were in the next room. In September 2022, then-Governor Pete Ricketts cast the deciding vote to pardon Arias, removing him from the sex offender registry and restoring his gun and voting rights. Nebraska Values PAC worked with Jody to tell her story, which will be shared with Nebraskans as part of a seven-figure informational campaign.
“That pardon brought back all the nightmares,” says Jody in a testimonial. “I have no idea why Senator Ricketts chose my rapist over me.”
The Ricketts’ administration did not inform Jody that the pardon was under consideration nor that the hearing was taking place, even though she had a legal right to testify. Jody only found out about the pardon weeks after it was approved, through the local news. Ricketts was the deciding vote on the Nebraska Board of Pardons, a three-member board which at the time also included Attorney General Doug Peterson and Secretary of State Bob Evnen. Evnen opposed the pardon, stating that he did not believe Arias “had fully come to grips with what happened that night. ”While in prison, Arias continued to harass Jody, writing threatening letters and telling her to“ watch her back for the rest of her life.” To this day, Arias has never expressed remorse toward Jody.
Jody’s story will be shared with Nebraskans through ads online, broadcast and cable television, and direct mail. You can watch the first ad, Pardon, here. There is also more information about Senator Ricketts’ pardon available at www.RickettsPardon.com. The New York Times was the first to cover the ad campaign.
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