Pawlenty’s radio show can continue

03/15/2006

Board rules airtime is not a donation

by BILL saLISBURY
Pioneer Press

Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s weekly radio show is not an illegal campaign contribution from WCCO-AM and 10 other stations across the state that broadcast it, the state Campaign Finance Board ruled Tuesday.

In a complaint to the board last month, the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party argued that Pawlenty is a candidate for re-election, and the hour of free radio time he receives each Friday should be considered a campaign contribution worth at least $60,000 a year. The party charged that Pawlenty’s re-election committee failed to report those in-kind contributions in its 2005 campaign finance report.

For months, DFL Party officials and gubernatorial candidates have been calling for Pawlenty to give up the show or for WCCO to drop it, contending that it gives him an unfair political advantage.

But the campaign board dismissed the DFL complaint, ruling that the show, “Good Morning, Minnesota,” operates under a contract between the state of Minnesota and WCCO, and Pawlenty’s campaign is not a party to that contract.

“There is no evidence that the Pawlenty for Governor Committee has received any in-kind donation from WCCO Radio,” the board ruled in an order released Tuesday.

Although Pawlenty raised more than $800,000 for his re-election campaign last year, he is not officially a candidate under state law until he files for office in July. WCCO officials have said they will discontinue the show when the governor becomes a legally qualified candidate. The show has an audience of about 100,000 listeners.

“The governor will defer to WCCO’s judgment regarding any changes they may make to their programming,” said Brian McClung, Pawlenty’s communications director and sidekick on the radio show. He noted that a Federal Communications Commission attorney stated Pawlenty can continue to broadcast the show without triggering an “equal time” claim until the candidate filing period closes July 20.

A DFL official criticized the board ruling and said the party may appeal it in court.

The board drew a “false distinction between Governor Pawlenty as a candidate and Governor Pawlenty as a public officeholder,” said DFL Communications Director David Ruth. “The board is basically saying that an incumbent governor can receive free air time if he’s claiming to be wearing his governor’s hat, even though he is running for re-election for the whole time. This is the ultimate incumbent protection, and it’s not right.”

McClung said the board’s ruling speaks for itself. “It’s unfortunate that the DFL felt the need to file yet another frivolous complaint,” he said.

Meanwhile, the board fined the Pawlenty campaign committee $7,150 for accepting nine donations last year that exceeded the state’s contribution limits. The fine is double the $3,575 the committee inadvertently accepted in illegal contributions. The committee returned donations to the contributors, but not within the 60 days required by state law.