"COUNTDOWN TO A FLIP-FLOP" #3

This is the third installment of a "Countdown To a Flip-Flop," a special 10 day event exposing the lengthy record of Mike Hatch in the run up to what promises to be his third failed gubernatorial run.

HATCH SIDING WITH BIG TOBACCO

Turns out that Mike Hatch has some close tobacco industry connections. Maybe that's why he appears to be siding with Big Tobacco in the motion they filed on Friday against the state of Minnesota over the health impact fee.

Hatch's Record on Tobacco Industry Contributions

1998 Campaign: Hatch Says No To Tobacco Money. "The four major-party contenders for Minnesota attorney general, the state's key job in taking on the tobacco industry, swore off campaign contributions from tobacco company employees and their lobbyists Tuesday. ...Mike Hatch, another DFL candidate and former state commerce commissioner, did not attend the press conference but has signed the pledge, association officials said." (Jim Ragsdale, "Attorney General Hopefuls Refuse Tobacco Money; Candidates Sign Campaign Pledge Not To Take Contributions," St. Paul Pioneer Press, September 17, 1997)

April 2002: Hatch Doesn't Know If He Has Accepted Tobacco Money. "[Dr. Richard] Hurt invited Hatch to join forces in a series of community meetings that MPAAT has scheduled across the state to discuss reducing tobacco use. He urged Hatch to appoint two people to the MPAAT board, as he is permitted to do under the court order. He also called on Hatch not to accept campaign donations from tobacco interests. Hatch said he will not comply with the first two requests until the legal issues are resolved, and he said he won't accept future campaign contributions from the tobacco industry. He said he didn't know if he had ever accepted them in the past." (Josephine Marcotty, "Hatch, Antitobacco Group Butt Heads; He Calls MPAAT Antismoking Efforts Inadequate," Star Tribune, April 24, 2002)

May 2002: Pulse Reports Hatch Repeatedly Accepted Contributions From Big Tobacco And Relied Upon Tobacco Lobbyist To Organize Fundraisers. "Dorothy Kelm (the wife of Tom Kelm, tobacco lobbyist) gave you $1,000 on 4/23/98. Good old reliable tobacco lobbyist Charlie Westin gave you $350 in your last campaign in '98. Christine Horasdovsky, wife of tobacco lobbyist Dave Horasdovsky, gave you $500. That was after your pledge in '98 to not accept tobacco campaign contributions. Since then, tobacco lobbyist Cort Holten has given you $200, and R. J. Reynolds tobacco lobbyist Ron Jerich has been very active in your present campaign. He organized and bankrolled fundraisers for you in 1999, buying food and beverages ($700). He and his wife donated $200 each last year, and he spent $500 on throwing you another fundraiser last June." (Ed Felien, "Gee Mike, We Thought You Knew!" Pulse Of The Twin Cities, May 1, 2002)

May 2002: MPR Reports Hatch Reimbursed R.J. Reynolds Lobbyist Ron Jerich Three Times. "When [Skip] Humphrey ran for governor right after the state's landmark tobacco trial, he vowed he wouldn't accept cash or fundraising help from anyone associated with the tobacco industry. Campaign Finance Board records show Hatch's campaign reimbursed one of the state's most influential lobbyists, Ron Jerich, on three occassions [sic] for fundraising. Fundraisers can steer far more money into campaign coffers than single contributions, which are capped in Minnesota. Both Jerich and his wife are registered lobbyists for R. J. Reynolds." (Elizabeth Stawicki, "Hatch's Tobacco Ties Questioned On Eve Of Court Fight," Minnesota Public Radio Website, May 16, 2002)