« FOX 9 STORY ON BLOGGING | Home | IS IT AGAINST THE LAW TO SIGN SOMEONE ELSE’S NAME TO A CERTIFIED MAIL RECEIPT? »
ATTORNEY GENERAL LORI SWANSON FIRES WHISTLE BLOWER
By Michael B. Brodkorb | May 28, 2008
Imagine the outrage we would hear from liberal bloggers and DFL legislators if a Republican office holder fired a whistle blower without citing a reason.
###
“Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson fired a staff attorney Tuesday after an investigation ordered by Swanson said that the attorney’s charges of unprofessional conduct in the filing of two lawsuits were unfounded.
Swanson dismissed Amy Lawler after the results of the investigation by Thomas Mengler, dean of the University of St. Thomas Law School, were released. In his report, Mengler said he found ‘no evidence of any unprofessional conduct’ by Swanson or her staff in the filing of the suits against mortgage foreclosure assistance companies. The report said other charges by Lawler were based on hearsay and could not be corroborated.
Mengler said Swanson did not ask him to address broader concerns raised by Lawler on office morale and attempts by staff attorneys in the attorney general’s office to form a union, efforts in which Lawler participated.
Mengler’s 19-page report comes as the legislative auditor is conducting a separate probe into the attorney general’s office. Lawler’s charges had heightened controversy facing Swanson, who assumed office last year and has drawn criticism over her management style.” Source: Star Tribune, May 27, 2008
Click here for the complete story.
###
“The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 5, which has been attempting to organize the attorneys in Swanson’s office, sharply criticized the firing. Said Eliot Seide, Council 5′s executive director: ‘In her termination letter Attorney General Swanson gave no reason for firing Amy Lawler. Bad bosses routinely fire ethical workers for union organizing and whistle blowing.’
Unflattering picture
Lawler, who began working in Swanson’s office late last year, had created an unflattering profile of the office by voicing concern that, although the two lawsuits against the mortgage foreclosure consultants had merit, they might have been part of an effort to gain publicity for Swanson on consumer-protection cases.
Lawler also alleged that, in other instances, supervisors pressured attorneys to falsify information in a consumer’s affidavit, pushed a staff attorney to take action against a company without reasonable cause and tried to get an attorney to provide unsound legal advice to a state agency.” Source: Star Tribune, May 27, 2008
Click here for the complete story.
Tags: Uncategorized
Topics: Uncategorized | 14 Comments »
14 Responses to “ATTORNEY GENERAL LORI SWANSON FIRES WHISTLE BLOWER”
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
May 28th, 2008 at 10:55 AM
Alternate headline: Dean of St. Thomas Law School finds all of the accusations against Attorney General Swanson to be untrue.
Seriously, Michael. A simple apology to AG Swanson would have sufficed.
May 28th, 2008 at 11:09 AM
Lawler’s no whistle blower if her accusations turn out to be false. Don’t get me wrong, Swanson is a train wreck, but I’d have fired Lawler too.
May 28th, 2008 at 11:13 AM
Lawler had declined to give Mengler the names of staff attorneys from whom she had heard some allegations.
Lawler took the hit to protect other lawyers in the office. She knew she was a goner no matter how this investigation turned out.
May 28th, 2008 at 11:14 AM
On the union busting charge: What the hell does the AGs office need a fucking union for? Why the hell does any professional need a goddam union?
That said, it’s funny to see a Democrat crushing “labor” organizing activities.
May 28th, 2008 at 11:14 AM
…not that what attorneys in the AG’s office do can be described as “labor.”
May 28th, 2008 at 11:17 AM
I have to enjoy this.
A union organizer using the standard tactics of making false or inflated claims in order to get a union formed.
The funny part is that the evil union busting boss is a DFL official.
DFL – The part that helps unions unless they try and organize and hurt a political appointee.
Either way this is great -
If allegations were true Swanson is a wreak, if false, she is just a union busting boss.
May 28th, 2008 at 11:32 AM
No comment on the union organizing activities – personally can’t see why one is needed. But, Lawler basically made up stuff that turned out to be false upon investigation, wouldn’t cite anyone who could verify her false claims and was fired for unethical behavior. Seems pretty reasonable to me. I’m surprised Swanson didn’t sue her for false defamation of character.
May 28th, 2008 at 11:44 AM
Someone on the left side of the aisle needs to remind Swanson that the “L” in “DFL” stands for “Labor”.
May 28th, 2008 at 11:54 AM
Sam who is a political appointee? Didn’t Swanson win in a statewide election?
May 28th, 2008 at 1:47 PM
Stonewall Jackson: “Someone on the left side of the aisle needs to remind Swanson…
————
Someone on the INSIDE of the Bush Administration needs to remind McClellan…
May 28th, 2008 at 3:50 PM
Well, upon receipt of a report by a generally well-respected academic who she asked to conduct an investigation, she fired an at-will employee who openly accused her of unethical behavior; if there really was some basis to believe that the accusations were true, then Lawlor was a whistleblower.
If not — and if you find Dean Mengler’s report credible — then it was a very junior attorney in the AG’s office who, for no particularly good reasons, violated professional standards, and got fired for it.
And because, in addition to that, she annoyed her boss? Maybe. Almost certainly.
May 29th, 2008 at 11:04 PM
The investigation that was completed was instigated by Swanson herself. The state legislative investigation is not yet complete. Why the haste in firing Lawler? The Democrats love committees and legislative investigations, at least when it comes to MnDOT.
Let’s see if Lawler is telling the truth when all investigations are completed.
May 30th, 2008 at 10:32 PM
The attorneys probably want to unionize to protect themselves from the horrific and unacceptable treatment they’ve received at the hands of Hatch (and now his protege Swanson). Even as a GOPer I can understand wanting shelter from the legendary wrath of Mike Hatch. Kudos to MDE, the Strib, and especially MinnPost for working to bring these shameful allegations to light.
The sad thing is the DFLers who were calling on Gonzalez to resign as US Atty-Gen are now silent on this thuggery in the state office.
June 18th, 2009 at 3:40 AM
Nice article.
================
John Assam
attorney