Politics & Government
Gerlach Among GOP Senators Fined For Violating Election Law
Eleven senators and former House Speaker Steve Sviggum used state resources to prepare campaign literature and did not reimburse the state, ruled a three-judge panel.
Sen. Chris Gerlach (R-District 37) of Apple Valley violated campaign finance laws by using taxpayer money to print partisan campaign literature in Senate offices, according to a ruling from a panel of administrative judges.
Ten other Republican state senators and House Speaker Steve Sviggum also were found to have violated the Fair Campaign Practices Act when they distributed campaign materials without identifying the source of the materials.
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The three-judge panel found that they used state resources to prepare the campaign literature and failed to reimburse the State for the costs. (A pdf of the decision is attached above.)
In February, MPR reported on the nearly 5,000 “Legislative Updates” that were printed in Senate offices at the Capitol and distributed exclusively at Republican precinct caucus locations.
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Gerlach and the other state senators each received a fine of $75. Sviggum was fined $200.
The literature in question was handed out six months ago, Sviggum told Stillwater Patch. Before it was distributed, he said, it was reviewed and approved by the non-partisan Senate legal counsel.
“It was not campaign material,” Sviggum said. “The complaint was wrong—and the ruling was wrong and inappropriate. It changes the standard of what constituent material and campaign material is … this will put a chill on delivery of information to communicate with constituents.”
DFL Chair Ken Martin had a different take on the ruling and released the following statement on the panel's conclusion:
“The conclusion by the court affirms what we have been saying since February: the Senate Republican Caucus broke the law when they decided to use our tax dollars to print partisan campaign literature. This finding comes as no surprise, especially not to anyone who has paid attention to the escalating pattern of lawlessness that has come to define this Republican legislature.
“The laundry list of lies, scandals and illegal activities the Republicans have brought to the Capitol in the last year alone is appalling. That the taxpayers should have to foot the bill for all of it is even worse. These Republicans continue to prove they will say and do anything to keep control of the state legislature, even if it means breaking the law and then handing Minnesota taxpayers the bill.”
In addition to Gerlach, the senators found to have violated the Fair Campaign Practices Act were Sen. Dave Senjem, Sen. Al DeKruif, Sen. Claire Robling, Sen. Gretchen Hoffman, Sen. Benjamin Kruse, Sen. Ted Lillie, Sen. Ray Vandeveer, Sen. Pam Wolf, Sen. Michelle Fischbach and Sen. John Pederson.
The ruling follows a complaint filed by the Minnesota DFL Party against the Senate Republican Caucus on Feb. 14.
Earlier this year, Gerlach announced that he would not seek reelection to the Senate. He is a candidate for Dakota County Commissioner in District 7, which includes all of Apple Valley and the western portion of Rosemount.
