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MUST READ FROM STAR TRIBUNE: “LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR STEPS UP SECRETARY OF STATE PROBEâ€
By Michael B. Brodkorb | November 26, 2007
"The legislative auditor said Monday that he plans to formally investigate Secretary of State Mark Ritchie's mixing of official and political business, a move that could deepen the controversy surrounding the state's chief elections officer.
Legislative Auditor James Nobles told the Legislative Audit Commission that he will interview Ritchie and his staff under oath after initially receiving what he called 'unreliable' information from the office.
The information concerned how a contact list generated through a public education program ended up being used by Ritchie's campaign to solicit political contributions.
The unusual step of requiring sworn testimony reflects concern about a lack of candor.
'If [Ritchie] was not forthcoming, that is a serious matter in and of itself,' Nobles said.
Nobles also said: 'If we cannot confirm the veracity of the statements from him and others in his office, we'll have to take other measures to determine what went on.'" Source: Star Tribune, November 26, 2007
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7 Responses to “MUST READ FROM STAR TRIBUNE: “LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR STEPS UP SECRETARY OF STATE PROBE—
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November 27th, 2007 at 7:59 AM
Why did Rebecca Otto not investigate this?
November 27th, 2007 at 8:35 AM
when I sent an email to her office a person responded that it was the job of the legislative auditor to do that since the state auditor is suppose to audit cities and other local governments.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
November 27th, 2007 at 8:58 AM
Why is there all the fuss about this? The man is a typical Democrat, with no fixed principles and no moral compass, and the only wrong he can do is to be caught doing what comes so naturally. Can’t we just move on? It’s just his personal life.
November 27th, 2007 at 9:41 AM
Given the size and scope of this scandal, and the level of evasiveness from Ritchie, it seems like Nobles should ask just two very simple questions (or address just two simple issues), and if Ritchie doesn’t answer them fully and honestly under oath, Ritchie should be prosecuted.
1) Please provide a list of every person, group, organization and task force that the official office of the Secretary of State maintained an email list from which the campaign of the Secretary of State solicited money.
2) Please fully and completely (and honestly of course) re-answer all of the questions initially posed by the legislative auditor since there were glaring omissions the first time around.
I think we’ll learn a lot about the real Ritchie if we learn fully about those two items.
November 27th, 2007 at 10:52 AM
It is scary to think that a majority of Minnesota voters thought that this guy was qualified to hold any public office.
I still can not believe even dyed in the wool DFLers couldn’t see through this guy and defeat him in the primary.
November 27th, 2007 at 11:48 AM
It is scary to think that a majority of U.S. voters thought that this guy was qualified to hold any public office.
I still can not believe even dyed in the wool GOPers couldn’t see through this guy and defeat him in the primary.
November 27th, 2007 at 11:53 AM
ralph
Unless we crossed party lines and voted in their primary we couldn’t defeat him in the primary. The problem was in the general election which was a DFL year Ritchie came in with the flood.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN