Good morning and welcome to Thursday.
We’ll start today with more details on the campaign fundraising reports I touched on yesterday. MPR’s Brian Bakst dug into them . DFL Gov. Tim Walz entered June with just shy of $4.5 million in the bank, although that figure doesn’t reflect a substantial purchase of TV ad time that starts in September. Republican-endorsed candidate Dr. Scott Jensen had about $663,000 in reserve. Walz’s spending shows he’s ramping up on voter outreach and staffing, which is reflected in rising costs of his payroll and health insurance expenses. Jensen has incurred costs from traveling the state as well as waging a convention contest against several other Republicans, who have since ended their campaigns. Jensen spent at least $100,000 at the Rochester convention for supplies, signs, video presentations and delegate hospitality. His campaign has also had two other big costs this year: It put $66,000 into a launch event for his lieutenant governor pick, Matt Birk, and spent $65,000 on copies of Jensen’s book to give to campaign donors.
Walz’s DFL Party is also in far better financial shape than the state Republican Party, with the available cash disparity in their respective state accounts at $2.6 million to $300,000. Outside groups can play big roles and have fewer fundraising restrictions. But so far there hasn’t been a large push on either side. Philanthropist Alida Messinger, who is one of Minnesota’s biggest-ever donors, has contributed more than $1 million this year to Democratic groups and party units. Publisher Vance Opperman had $270,000 committed to DFL efforts. For Republicans, broadcasting executive Stanley Hubbard led the way with $100,000 in donations, much of it to the campaign arm of state Senate Republicans. Retired Target CEO Robert Ulrich was in for $65,000 to GOP causes.
A Minnesota Senate panel is still trying to decide whether there is probable cause for a lawmaker to face further action related to ethics allegations. MPR’s Tim Pugmire reports Sen. Omar Fateh, DFL-Minneapolis, appeared again Wednesday before the Senate ethics subcommittee. Another hearing is scheduled July 7, with plans to issue subpoenas to two witnesses. Fateh is accused of failing to disclose a conflict of interest related to airtime he received on Somali TV of Minnesota. A second allegation relates to his brother-in-law and issues surrounding the unauthorized delivery of absentee ballots. Fateh denied any involvement. "I did not directly or indirectly encourage anybody to act improperly at any point, whether it's voting or absentee ballots or any part of the electoral process,” he said. Republican Sen. Mark Koran said the underlying case with the brother-in-law was about election fraud, which needs to be investigated further. “The charge or the conviction was perjury, but the underlying complaint was election fraud,” Koran said. “And so the seriousness of that is why we’re here today, and trying to figure out do you reasonably know or do you have a role in things that occur in your office.”
Sahan Journal has this: The state of Minnesota has welcomed more than 1,200 Afghans since last August. But that feeling of welcome has turned into stress and frustration for some refugees and the community members advocating for them . Nearly 600 Afghan families face what advocates call a housing crisis in the Twin Cities exacerbated by rising rent rates. Afghan refugees are on their own to find a job and pay rent after their first six months in the country, according to the state’s resettlement plan.
The Republican-endorsed candidate for lieutenant governor Matt Birk tweeted earlier this week that Gov. Walz bought “a lake place in South Dakota.” It was a repetition of something that’s been going around on social media, but there’s one problem: It’s not true. The Star Tribune reports : "Neither the governor nor his spouse own any property, let alone a property in South Dakota," said Nichole Johnson, Walz's campaign manager, adding: "This kind of dishonesty doesn't belong anywhere near the governor's office." Walz's January 2022 economic disclosure with the state showed no property ownership at the time. The governor and his family live at the governor's residence in St. Paul, which is owned by the state. Governors typically live at the residence during their tenure in office. Walz sold his home in Mankato before moving to St. Paul. Since Sunday, the tweet has gotten hundreds of interactions on the social media platform, but there's no evidence backing up Birk's claim. The campaign of Birk and governor candidate Scott Jensen did not respond to repeated requests for more information.
President Joe Biden Wednesday nominated one of the lawyers who successfully prosecuted Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd to be a federal judge.Jerry Blackwell has more than three decades of legal experience and was supported unanimously by a selection committee convened by Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith. “Jerry Blackwell is widely respected and loved within the Minnesota legal community,” Klobuchar said in a statement. “His extensive trial experience – including the successful prosecution of the murder of George Floyd – makes him an excellent choice to be a U.S. District Court Judge.” Smith agreed: "I am confident that his experience and commitment to equal justice will make him an excellent federal judge,” Smith said. I want to congratulate him on his nomination and I look forward to working with my colleagues to confirm him to this post.” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison chose Blackwell to help prosecute Chauvin. Blackwell has worked as the founding partner of the Blackwell Burke law firm in Minneapolis since 2006. The Senate will have to confirm Blackwell to take over for Judge Susan Richard Nelson, who went on senior status at the end of last year. | 