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MARSHALL INDEPENDENT: BLOGGER SUGGESTS DRAMATIC RISE IN ’03 FIGURES COULD BE HIDING SLUSH FUND; LOCAL DFLER CALLS IT LATE-SEASON SMEAR TACTICS
By Michael B. Brodkorb | September 27, 2006
"Local legislative politics took a big twist Tuesday, with questions about Lac qui Parle County DFL campaign expenditures being raised by Republican blogger, a local Republican candidate calling for an investigation, and cross-party accusations of smear tactics being raised by a local DFLer.
Michael Brodkorb, who describes himself as 'a partisan Republican,' runs the blog www.minnesotademocratsexposed. In recent days, his Web site has questioned fund-raising and expenditures by the Lac qui Parle DFL in 2003.
On his Web site and in an interview with the Independent on Tuesday, he suggested the figures show an abnormal spike that could be hiding a DFL slush fund.
Brodkorb, also a part-time consultant for U.S. Rep. Mark Kennedy, R-Minn., said county officials have given him the runaround and have offered at least two different explanations for the 2003 spike. (County DFL officials did not return phone calls Tuesday to the Independent.)
In most years, Brodkorb says, the county DFL spends perhaps an average of $3,000, but spent more than $24,000 alone in 2003 for what was termed either 'printing' expenses or lawn signs with a company called Poligraphics.
A check by the Independent of the state Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board’s annual reporting figures verifies the unusual figures for 2003: That year, the Lac qui Parle County DFL reported contributions totaling $31,729.
In 2002, an election year, the party reported $650 in contributions.
In 2005, the party reported $112 in contributions.
Expenditures show a similar disparity, Brodkorb told the Independent.
'If you look at the expenditures in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and what they have spent in ’06, those ’03 numbers are off the charts,' he said. 'They spent right about $3,000 in '05, and right about $3,000 again in '06. But this $24,500 expenditure for these lawn signs in 2003 is off the charts. That’s what makes it more mysterious. It was just a one-time blip on the screen.'
To put it in context, here are what two local candidates say they spend on lawn signs: Rep. Marty Seifert about $1,800 a year, DFL challenger Pat Mellenthin about $1,200 a year — both a small fraction of the alleged Lac qui Parle expenditure.
The state’s records show many of the contributions to Lac qui Parle County in 2003 came from big donors outside of Lac qui Parle County: $3,000 from Twin Cities auto dealer Denny Hecker, another $4,500 combined from two other members of Hecker’s family, $5,000 from Pamala Deal of NAU Insurance of Anoka, $5,000 from Fingerhut owner Theodore Deikel of Minnetonka, $5,000 from leading state DFL activist Vance Opperman, and $5,000 from Samuel L. Koplin of Minneapolis, a leading fund-raiser for presidential candidate John Kerry.
Those donations drew criticism Tuesday from Republican Mike Bredeck of Madison, who is running for the House District 20A seat against incumbent DFLer Rep. Aaron Peterson of Appleton.
'There should be an investigation as to why extremely wealthy donors from the metro area are so interested in Lac Qui Parle County’s politics and office-holders,' Bredeck said." Source: Marshall Independent, September 27, 2006
Click here for complete story.
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25 Responses to “MARSHALL INDEPENDENT: BLOGGER SUGGESTS DRAMATIC RISE IN ’03 FIGURES COULD BE HIDING SLUSH FUND; LOCAL DFLER CALLS IT LATE-SEASON SMEAR TACTICS”
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September 27th, 2006 at 9:01 am
Ahhahaha!
Ya just *know* this is going to lead to another DFL cesspool. Maybe we should start a perp walk watch!
I’m thinking MDE has earned a juicy raise; what say ye, lefty’s?
*crickets*
Bwahahahahahaaha!
September 27th, 2006 at 10:00 am
Glad to see that some reporters stop roving long enough to notice what’s going on.
September 27th, 2006 at 10:09 am
I’m wondering why none of the paid operatives for dimos only make the news accusing people of racism. Good catch – Mike!!
September 27th, 2006 at 10:34 am
So Denny Hecker is one of the rich DFLers who gave money to this slush fund. “It’s bad people helping bad people.”
September 27th, 2006 at 10:45 am
For some reason, Michael chooses to remove the following section of the article whenever I post it….
Peterson said Brodkorb’s past postings on other political issues have been questionable, and suggested the current postings on Lac qui Parle are an attempt to skirt debate on real issues. He also questioned why the fund-raising has been raised now because it is not a new issue. A letter to the editor in the Sept. 4, 2004, Independent from Lac qui Parle County Republican Party treasurer Elton K. Fordyce addressed the same topic.
“If they actually cared about it, they would have investigated it in 2004 and 2005,†Peterson said about Republicans. “Now, six weeks before the campaign comes this blog.â€
Peterson said it sounds like similar Republican party activity on the national level.
“I say it’s right out of the national Republican playbook, and that is to try to smear people and avoid issues,†Peterson said. “I think it’s electioneering.
“This stinks of Marty Seifert to no end here,†Peterson added. “He wants me gone. I know how he works.â€
September 27th, 2006 at 10:46 am
RBMN, Are you calling the DISTORTER OUT ?! Good
for YOU ! I got “IT” to ADMIT that these donors are in IT’S words “RICH WHITE GUYS” who he professed to HATE, when “IT” applied that term to
GOP donors ! A REAL GRADE AA, NO. 1 MINNESOTA DFL
HYPOCRITE HE/SHE IS !!
September 27th, 2006 at 10:54 am
When did I ever say that I hated rich white guys?
I hate how Michael still has a small thread of credibility with reporters outstate, and I plan to work on that today, but never once have I stated that I dislike rich white guys.
September 27th, 2006 at 10:59 am
And why don’t you GO MR. PETERSON ?! I think MINNESOTA has HAD ENOUGH of DFL HACKS LIKE YOU and YOUR FATHER ,(DOUG) the HUMPHREY’S AND THE MOE’S WHO THINK IT’S THEIR DIVINE RIGHT TO to MILK (no pun intended) THE PUBLIC FOR GENERATION AFTER GENERATION ! TELL US WHERE THIS DIRTY MONEY
WENT AARON, OR SHUT YOUR LYING DFL MOUTH !!
September 27th, 2006 at 11:03 am
DISTORTER, YOU SAID IN A POST ATTACKING GOP FUNRAISING ! AND THANKS FOR THE REST OF THE ARTICLE,IT MERELY CONFIRMS THAT AARON PETERSON IS ATTEMPTING TO COVER SOMETHING UP !!!
September 27th, 2006 at 11:05 am
Roving
Why did you leave out the following part (the very next paragraphs) of the article when you posted your part?
“Seifert said he played no role in bringing the issue to the surface. The first he learned of the blog posts was in a phone call Tuesday morning from a Twin Cities reporter.
“I’ve got nothing to do with it,” Seifert said. “I will take a lie-detector on it, if (Peterson) wants.
If I knew about this a long time ago, I would have brought it out a long time ago.”
Good job MDE! Front page, above the fold, couldn’t ask for better placement of this story – unless that was front page, above the fold on the StarTribune or Pioneer Press.
September 27th, 2006 at 11:11 am
Well, republicans had two years to make a case on this, and they couldn’t, so they know that this is the only way to use this supposed slush fund. I bet it will be a campaign issue every two years for years to come.
If you all had anything, you would have brought it. You didn’t, you don’t so you won’t.
And Aaron Peterson, like Denise Dittrich, will win handily this fall, proving how impotent MDE has become.
September 27th, 2006 at 11:22 am
Raving Rectum promises: “I plan to work on that today..”
I’ve just recieved this transcript:
Receptionist: “Good morning, Marshall Independant, how may I direct your call?”
Raving Rectum: (weeping) “Hello, this is someone who is afraid to give their name..but I want to complaaaaiiin (sob)…a..a…about Michael Brodkooooorb (waaahhhh)”
“He…he..he’s soooo meeeaannnn (waaaahhh)”
Ahahahahahhahaahha!
September 27th, 2006 at 11:31 am
I know Dana Yost personally. Believe me when I say, this mistake will not be duplicated.
September 27th, 2006 at 11:45 am
In fairness to Roving, he never said that he hated rich white guys. He did, however, say that he despises (his word) rich people who contribute to the GOP. More proof, if more proof was needed of the accuracy of Bobby Kennedy’s words: “Nobody hates like a liberal.”
September 27th, 2006 at 11:57 am
Hmmm… an appearance of wrong doing is not enough though. Evidence is what matters. Wouldn’t there need to be some evidence of illegal coordination of funds?
Heck, I would think that if Ebinstiener can get out of the mess he was in (even when evidence was present), that this amounts to a mole hill.
Not that I condone it. It is just that this site, the MN GOP, the RNC and the Kennedy campaign have been making accusations in the form of questions without offering up any evidence.
September 27th, 2006 at 12:07 pm
BTW, I don’t “despise” the Roving Reporter.
I pity the fool!
September 27th, 2006 at 12:22 pm
Hugo Chavez (aka Roving Reporter) still cannot explain this fact:
Twin Cities DFLers gave $31,500 to the Lac Qui Parle DFL. The 2000 census says that the population of Lac Qui Parle County is 8,067. That’s $3.90 for every man, woman and child living in that county.
How did rich Twin Cities DFLers all decide to pump a huge amount of money into the Lac Qui Parle DFL that was used to pay a bill for which the county leadership said they didn’t know anything about it?
September 27th, 2006 at 1:42 pm
blogginmn-
where in hell did you get there was ANY evidence in the hatch-fabricated ebinsteiner case? what transcript were you looking at? there wasn’t a shred of evidence and it was a monumental effort to find a patsy county attorney to take the case in the first place. talk to the former head of the ag criminal division if you doubt it.
rover-
so, do i take it you are aaron peterson, the illustrious state legislator? wow…everything makes sense now. bringing up issues during campaigns? kinda like leaking classified documents, eh?
September 27th, 2006 at 2:28 pm
Somehow the Kaplan’s are involved in this too. Are they losing it? Their judgement is in question. Why don’t they throw their money at something real for a change?
Like efffective equipment to process teacher’s checks in the school system.
Paying for slush funds and signs for losing candidates is a serious waste of good money!
September 27th, 2006 at 2:38 pm
I stand corrected Mr.Bauer. I should have known that in Roving STRIB DISTORTER’S World there is light years difference between the word DESPISE and the word HATE !
September 27th, 2006 at 3:16 pm
Raving Rectum says: “I know Dana Yost personally. Believe me when I say, this mistake will not be duplicated.”
So, now you’re claiming to have editorial control over what the Independent publishes ya goof?
Or, is this a threat that Dana is as yet unaware of…?
Pfft, picture this: The police burst into Ravings inner sanctum (his mom’s basement) and find him “flying” around the room in a batman costume, wearing a tin foil helmet while pummeling his “blow-up soul mate”..”Take *that* MDE…and that, and that”.
Hahaha!
September 27th, 2006 at 3:22 pm
Worried-
I am NOT Aaron Peterson. Just to help narrow it down for you, I am also not Nick Coleman, Norm Coleman, Captain Kangaroo, The Easter Bunny, Larry Flynt, Jermaine Jackson, Tom Smothers, The Petco Sock, Herve Villeches, Manute Bol, Richard Dean Anderson, Harry Potter, Prince, Ferdinand Marcos, Marian Gaborik, a double stuffed chalupa, Jimmy Hoffa, Buzz Lagos, Tiny Tim, Howard Dean, a roll of duct tape, Milli, Vanilli, Gerald Ford, The creepy guy with the loosley tied bathrobe at the end of your alley, Fred Bilitnikof, Specer for hire or Alf.
September 27th, 2006 at 3:35 pm
If you find this interesting someone should dig up the LQP DFL County Chairs response to my orginal letter to the editor that was published the next week in the Western Guard in Madison MN. His explaination then doesn’t match any of the current explainations.
September 27th, 2006 at 5:46 pm
Yes, rather than the Kaplan’s complaining about the homeless maybe they could help many individuals by cutting back on buying political hacks, buy a smaller home and drive energy efficient cars. They used to live a few blocks from me on a large corner lot with views of the Rose Garden and Lake Harriet. Everytime I drove by their house all the lights were on and they were “entertaining” dimocratic candidates! Do you think he might make more money for the old law firm by donating money to the dims?
September 27th, 2006 at 7:38 pm
They had their lights on during dinner parties?
What monsters!
All that money they were wasting on electricty was probably just blown on energy company lobbyists like, well, Pat Shrotridge, the guy whose Enron golden parachute apparently was an offer from Rove to run Kennedy’s campaign. The only silver lining in this, is that his golden parachute has turned into more of a golden shower, as the people of Minnesota keep pissing on his candidate.