Campaign finance board to investigate Minnesota GOP after local ...

(Pioneer Press, File)

The Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board has launched an investigation into possible reporting violations by the state Republican Party, a local watchdog group said Monday.

Common Cause Minnesota filed a complaint with the board last week asking it to look into alleged campaign finance infractions. The Minnesota GOP reportedly is $2 million in debt, including $415,000 in past obligations party officials failed to disclose.

Besides the unreported debt, Common Cause alleges that the Republicans illegally created a shell corporation to fund the 2010 gubernatorial recount. The party is disputing those attorney bills, which total about $719,000.

The group received a letter Monday from the campaign finance board dated Friday, saying the complaints would be investigated.

Mike Dean, executive director of Common Cause Minnesota, called on the party to release all documents related to the investigation.

"The Republican Party of Minnesota has broken the trust of party activists and the public by hiding hundreds of thousands of dollars in spending," Dean said. "Now is the time to be open and honest about its party finances."

Heather Dodgers-Rubash, the state GOP communications director, noted the party released this detailed information to activists, donors, the media and the Federal Elections Commission last month before Common Cause even filed the complaints.

"The only reason these liberal organizations are aware of the...financial issues

is because we told them," she said.

Dodgers-Rubash accused Common Cause of "partisan posturing."

The investigation probably won't be complete until the state campaign finance board's March meeting.

According to Common Cause's complaint, Republicans created a separate fund called Count Them All Properly to pay for the recount. But the complaint alleges the fund was created a month after the recount had begun.

It also says the party violated campaign finance laws because officials failed to get approval from the party's treasurer to pay for some of those bills. Former Chairman Tony Sutton quit Dec. 2 amid complaints of the escalating debt. David Sturrock, the party's secretary-treasurer who stepped down about a week ago, said in his resignation letter that he was never consulted on those expenditures.

Dean says the party could be fined up to $1.1 million for the alleged violations.

The Minnesota GOP could face campaign finance penalties at the federal level as well.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has said it will file another complaint with the Federal Elections Commission for the party's failure to report debt.

It's been a tough month for the Minnesota GOP, which has been battered by revelations of financial distress and resignations of key leaders.

Sutton quit, and then just two weeks later, Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch resigned over an "inappropriate relationship" with a staffer. The Senate GOP's head spokesman Michael Brodkorb lost his job a day later.

Party leaders on Dec. 30 released an internal financial review showing the party's debts total about $2 million, including $719,000 in contested legal fees from the 2010 recount where Mark Dayton defeated Republican candidate Tom Emmer.

That's when Sturrock resigned, saying the GOP's new leaders must "regain the confidence of activists, donors and voters in our ability to manage party finances."

Online: Campaign finance board letter to Common Cause confirming its investigation, bit.ly/CCletter; Common Cause's complaint, bit.ly/CCcomplaint.

Source: http://www.twincities.com/news/ci_19705317?source=rss

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