Board rejects campaign complaints

03/25/2005

Dane Smith, Star Tribune
March 24, 2005

The Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board on Wednesday dismissed complaints by the DFL Party that Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau illegally failed to reimburse the state for traveling in state vehicles to political campaign events.

The board also dismissed a complaint that Republican Party chairman Ron Eibensteiner broke the law by charging the party for legal bills. Those costs have been incurred by his defense against charges that he broke state campaign finance laws in connection with contributions to a federal committee from a Florida corporation.

The latest dismissals fit into a recent pattern of state party officials filing fruitless ethics complaints against each other’s top leaders.

The board has also recently dismissed complaints filed by the Republican Party against House Minority Leader Matt Entenza, DFL-St. Paul, alleging incomplete disclosure of his contributions to a national “527” group, and against DFL Attorney General Mike Hatch, for using his campaign fund to repair damage to his personal vehicle when it was being driven to a political event.

On the travel complaint against Pawlenty, his attorney argued that he has no legal obligation to repay the state for traveling anywhere, for personal or political reasons, because he is legally entitled to round-the-clock security and a state trooper chauffeur wherever he goes.

Nevertheless, attorney Richard Morgan said, Pawlenty chose to reimburse the state more than $1,000 for campaign-related travel in 2004. He was not up for election, and much of the travel was in behalf of President Bush.

The board agreed with that argument and a similar defense in behalf of modest political travels in a state car by Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau. Although it is not legally required to do so, Morgan said, the Pawlenty-Molnau campaign will reimburse the state $33.45 for her travel.

The attorney for Eibensteiner and the Republican Party, Doug Kelley, argued that it’s legal and routine for voluntary private associations such as political parties “to indemnify their officers, directors and employees who become parties to legal proceedings as a consequence of their official acts.”

The board agreed, dismissing “in its entirety” that complaint against Eibensteiner, as well as another that the GOP may have been trying to conceal something by listing its expenditures in chronological rather than alphabetical order. DFL Party communications director Bill Amberg said the party is still pursuing a request for a full release of records and expenses for Pawlenty’s official travels.