Minnesota Independent

Emmer, Senjem fined for campaign finance violations

By Andy Birkey | 01.11.11 | 3:42 pm

Sen. David Senjem and former GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer were fined by the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board on Monday. The board reviewed complaints stemming from the Nov. 2 election: Emmer’s campaign was fined for accepting illegal corporate contributions while Senjem was found to have violated campaign laws when he gave money to former Sen. Paul Koering.

Attorney General Lori Swanson at the DFL election-night party, Nov. 2. Photo: Kathy Easthagen

Otto, Swanson re-elected as auditor, attorney general

By Andy Birkey | 11.03.10 | 9:00 am

State Auditor Rebecca Otto and Attorney General Lori Swanson were re-elected on Tuesday night. The Associated Press called the race for Swanson early in the night, but didn’t project an Otto win until well into Wednesday morning. Swanson took an early lead and stayed above 50 percent throughout the night, while Otto only bested her opponent, former auditor Pat Anderson by a handful of points.

Conservative paper’s partisan links back data requests, despite denials

By Jon Collins | 07.29.10 | 8:19 am

The Minnesota Republic, a conservative student newspaper that filed more than a dozen data requests from state DFLers, blurs line between journalism and politics.

Otto hits Anderson for finance errors in auditors race

By Andy Birkey | 05.19.10 | 7:48 am

State Auditor Rebecca Otto criticized her opponent, former Republican State Auditor Pat Anderson, for a number of errors on Anderson’s campaign finance reports. Otto says Anderson has made numerous accounting errors in both her campaign records and during her time…

Pat Anderson wins GOP endorsement for state auditor

By Andy Birkey | 04.30.10 | 11:27 am

Former State Auditor Pat Anderson got the nod from GOP activists at the state convention to campaign for her old job. She will face off against current State Auditor Rebecca…

AM.MN: Landrieu tampers with Klobuchar’s gumbo

By Chris Steller | 01.28.10 | 8:30 am

For the second time this week, things didn’t go as planned for a costumed Minnesotan entering the offices of Louisiana’s Sen. Mary Landrieu. Amy Klobuchar, dressed like a New Orleans Saints fan, tried to make good on…

AM.MN: Lawn signs? Check. Tow signs? Oops.

By Chris Steller | 11.02.09 | 9:30 am

Getting named in a developer’s lawsuit on Thursday, five days before Election Day, was bad enough. But Friday wasn’t much better for Minneapolis Council Member Diane Hofstede, whose office got more than 50 calls after the city’s…

AM.MN: Using Twins’ Metrodome math, 1 minus 1 plus 1 equals … Target

By Chris Steller | 10.05.09 | 8:30 am

The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome is putting on a clinic for what “multi-purpose” means, with the Vikings game tonight sandwiched between what was supposed to be the Twins’ last game at the Dome Sunday and an added regular-season playoff with…

MnIndy slideshow: State fair politics

By Paul Demko | 09.04.09 | 4:35 pm

The only place for a politician to be on the last Friday of summer is the Minnesota State Fair. There are almost certainly more backs to slap and babies to kiss than at any other gathering of the year. It seemed like half the state’s residents were prowling the fairgrounds today. U.S. Sen. Al Franken was among the masses.

GOP’s Hann, Anderson announce campaigns for governor

By Paul Schmelzer | 07.16.09 | 1:11 pm

One state Republican has moved from “maybe” to the “definitely” column: State Sen. David Hann of Eden Prairie officially announced his candidacy for governor Thursday. The second-term senator is likely to have plenty of competition: so far,…