Picture 10This plan could backfire: By putting the spotlight on a State Fair vendor — Grandstand Donuts — that’s really an unadvertised fundraiser for DFL candidates, the Minnesota Republican Party could actually boost sales of Democratic donuts.

A “GOP Newsline” email sent Wednesday carried the subject line “Avoid the DFL Donut Booth.” The reason, as the email puts it: “This mini-donut stand does not inform patrons that their money is going towards the DFL party, so be careful.” Attached to the email was a movie file of a KSTP report about how the stand is run by a DFL political action committee, a fact that wasn’t apparent to mini-donut afficionados. The Ramsey County group that runs the booth gave $40,000 to support DFL candidates in 2007 and $45,000 in 2006, the station reported. According to John Treadwell, treasurer of the PAC, several other Fair booths are likewise run by organizations whose names don’t appear on signage, although to his knowledge Grandstand is the only political one.

The KSTP report is a year old — as the date on the GOP’s video, as well as the YouTube video below show — but the 2009 State Fair map shows Grandstand Donuts will again be selling from their location on the southwest end of the plaza outside the Grandstand.

KSTP’s video:

The entire GOP email, sent by party chair Tony Sutton and deputy chair Michael Brodkorb:
GOP email