Outside firm to look into DNR fundraising

05/09/2008

By DAVID SHAFFER,
Star Tribune
May 9, 2008


Natural Resources Commissioner Mark Holsten told legislators Friday that an outside firm will be hired to investigate whether fundraising for a state-supported game warden conference violated conflict of interest laws.

But two legislative committees got few answers as they questioned Holsten and other DNR officials about spending at least $383,000 on a game warden conference last July in St. Paul.

Holsten pledged to supply legislators with more information as internal and external investigators examine spending and employee actions related to the 2007 North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association conference.

"The allegations that have been raised are serious," Holsten testified before a joint hearing of House and Senate environmental committees.

The hearing and investigations were prompted by a Star Tribune report this week that the DNR pumped taxpayer money into the conference and required all 204 conservation officers to attend. The event turned a $76,000 profit, but the organizers didn't share it with the state. Some DNR officials believed the fundraising on state time for the conference was improper, the paper reported.

Holsten said an outside contractor, probably an attorney, will be hired to investigate the fundraising.

Rep. Jean Wagenius, DFL-Minneapolis, chairwoman of the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance Division, said a conference website created by the DNR had solicited contributions to be sent to Capt. Cathy Hamm, who works in the enforcement division. She is the wife of Col. Mike Hamm, the head of the enforcement division.

"This raises a lot of issues," Wagenius said of the web solicitation. "One is that there's a strong implication that this is a solicitation for the benefit of the state and that's questionable."