Minnesota Independent

Emmer team: Frivolous challenges could reach 8,700

By Andy Birkey | 12.03.10 | 8:01 am

By Thursday evening, 93 percent of ballots had been counted in the Minnesota gubernatorial recount, but the State Canvassing Board will meet on Friday to deal with thousands of frivolous ballot challenges made by the team of Republican Tom Emmer, whose lawyer said the number could reach 8,700 by 2 pm today. Dayton’s team withdrew all its frivolous challenges and in a letter to the canvassing board chastised Emmer.

Uh-oh: Franken attorney Elias heads to Massachusetts

By Paul Schmelzer | 01.19.10 | 4:22 pm

If a few weird ballots and premature cries of “stolen election” aren’t enough to suggest Massachusetts’ special election might not be resolved quickly, perhaps this is: Marc Elias, who served as lead attorney for Al Franken’s legal team,…

As Klobuchar warned, no ‘Susan Boyle moment’ in Coleman-Franken hearing

By Chris Steller | 06.01.09 | 11:43 am

Lawyers of all shapes and sizes crowded a Minnesota Supreme Court hearing today in the squabble over who will be the state’s second U.S. Senator: Norm Coleman or Al Franken. Both sides made oral arguments, as the state’s sole Senator, Amy Klobuchar, had warned there was no “Susan Boyle” moment.

Franken calls on state Supreme Court to order issuance of election certificate

By Paul Demko | 05.11.09 | 5:41 pm

Al Franken won the U.S. Senate contest fair and square. That’s the gist of the Democrat’s 53-page brief filed Monday with the Minnesota Supreme Court. Franken wants the state’s highest court to affirm the ruling by a three-judge panel that he won the U.S. Senate contest by 312 votes and order that he be issued an election certificate immediately.

Franken to high court: Let’s hurry it up

By Chris Steller | 04.21.09 | 2:17 pm

Lawyers for Al Franken are trying to turn Norm Coleman’s recent media blitz into a justice blitz, using comments from the Republican campaign in news reports to persuade the the Minnesota Supreme Court to speed up Coleman’s appeal.

Franken reveals private pledge not to do national media … in the New York Times

By Chris Steller | 04.15.09 | 10:41 pm

Norm Coleman isn’t the only Minnesota candidate for U.S. Senate to exhibit a mild case of hypocrisy while pressing his case in the media lately. Here’s what Al Franken is quoted as saying in an interview in today’s edition…

Franken camp confident of victory

By Paul Demko | 04.14.09 | 2:19 pm

Al Franken will be the next senator from Minnesota. That’s the message conveyed by Marc Elias, the Franken campaign’s lead recount attorney, on a conference call Tuesday afternoon. Not surprisingly, Elias…

Franken attorney: ‘I think we are done’

By Chris Steller | 04.07.09 | 2:52 pm

The danger of paper cuts was greater than the chance that Al Franken would lose his 225-vote lead to Norm Coleman today as Minnesota officials ripped open 351 more ballots from last year’s U.S. senate race in front of the state’s election-contest court. Franken increased his lead by 87 votes. “I think we are done,” said Franken attorney Marc Elias afterward.

Ruling further diminishes Coleman’s election contest prospects

By Paul Demko | 03.31.09 | 5:58 pm

Norm Coleman’s already grim prospects for prevailing in the ongoing U.S. Senate contest were dealt another significant blow this afternoon. The three-judge panel hearing the case ruled that only 400 rejected absentee ballots should be considered for inclusion in the final vote tally.

Republicans agree with Franken on letting parties raise election contest cash

By Chris Steller | 03.03.09 | 12:55 pm

fec-graphic2 Three Republican groups are telling the federal government they agree with Democrat Al Franken on something: There should be more ways for donors to send more dollars to support the rivals in Minnesota’s ongoing U.S. Senate election contest.