« COLEMAN FOR U.S. SENATE PRESS RELEASE: “MINNESOTA VOTERS REMAIN DISENFRANCHISED” | Home | MUST READ FROM THE STAR TRIBUNE: “ARE THE RENOVATIONS AT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE TOO RICH?” »
EXTREME MAKEOVER: HATCH/SWANSON EDITION
By Ryan Flynn | April 1, 2009
The new hand-sewn carpet installed in A.G. Lori Swanson's office.
More insight into the weird relationship between Mike Hatch and Lori Swanson, not to mention the egregious abuse of taxpayer money.
###
What most of people never see is the office where the attorney general actually works in the Capitol. It’s behind the main reception area away from public view.
And, at taxpayer’s expense, nearly $400,000 of repairs and alterations have been done since 2006 at the attorney general’s office at the Capitol and at offices in downtown St. Paul.
…
The attorney general has refused to talk with the I-TEAM about the $15,000 doors. But it’s worth noting that none of the previous 28 attorneys general needed sound proofing protection. Even the governor of Minnesota, who works across the hall from the attorney general, doesn’t have soundproof doors on his office.
…
Hatch ordered the renovations even though he was leaving office. And remember that wall of portraits in the conference room? An inexpensive, unexplained change. All of the pictures that were once in color are now black and white, except the photos of Hatch and Swanson. Source: WCCO, March 31, 2009.
###
Here is the full report from WCCO’s Pat Kessler, it is a must see!
$400,000 for renovations, $15,000 for unnecessary doors and $6,000 for new custom carpeting, unbelievable!
Anyone who has ever been in the attorney general’s office knows how nice it is, I can’t even imagine what $400,000 did.
Keep in mind that when a new president is elected they have a budget of $100,000 to make changes at the White House, four times less than what has been spent on the attorney general’s office. President and Mrs. Obama have chosen to use their own funds for upgrades at the White House.
Update: It seems as if the Attorney General is not interested at the moment in answering questions regarding this story, from Polinaut.
Tags: Uncategorized
Topics: Uncategorized | 25 Comments »
25 Responses to “EXTREME MAKEOVER: HATCH/SWANSON EDITION”
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
April 1st, 2009 at 9:58 AM
“Weird relationship” is a rather demure way of putting a relationship that some might describe in slightly hotter terms. But I digress.
First, it’s grossly unfair to suggest that Swanson refuses to respond to the WCCO report. After all, as we learned just a couple of weekends ago in the Star Tribune, Mike Hatch has taken on the task of responding to aggressive questioning of the AG’s office (apparently, his highly lucrative insurance defense practice doesn’t keep him busy enough).
But I digress again.
From my standpoint, the real question is: why are these people so paranoid about being overheard in the AG’s office that they’re willing to waste $15,000 on sound-proof doors? What’s going on in there, anyway?
Where to begin! Credible evidence suggests that she and Hatch both misused medicaid fraud investigation funds (a federal crime), ordered their attorneys to falsify affidavits to get good press, diverted settlement funds to ACORN in order to get ACORN’s endorsement, busted a union-organizing drive in their own office, filed meritless lawsuits to get press and … then settled them for nothing. Not to mention the fact that Hatch, when he wasn’t busy writing Lori’s correspondence, was writing blog posts for AG office lawyers to post to critical blogs … and then requiring them to mark the time on their time sheets as “vacation.”
No doubt, this will all end in tears for Hatch and Swanson. Affidavits are floating around town suggesting felonious activity in that office, and no doubt some enterprising reporter is going to get his hands on those eventually …
April 1st, 2009 at 10:31 AM
Where to begin? How about with a question for Leroy-the-jackass? How many cops could 400K put on the streets?
The photo deal reminds me of Rudy Perpich wanting a portrait with Lola … because Al Quie had his horses. Political Cartoonist Kevin Siers, then with the Minnesota Daily, ran a toon with Rudy’s face next to a horse’s ass.
Did anyone ask what the STC of the door was? You can buy a MasterCraft door – one that is really good at blocking sound – at Menards for $300. It looks good too! Take out the old one and install the new one for about $500.
Did Hatch/Swanson bid out the project? I’d love to see the RFP.
A.G. Swanson herself, needs a makeover:
http://stmedia.startribune.com/images/170*260/492-3885257.standalone.prod_affiliate.2.jpg
Oprah?
April 1st, 2009 at 10:45 AM
One more try with the Lori Swanson “Before” shot!
http://stmedia.startribune.com/images/170*260/492-3885257.standalone.prod_affiliate.2.jpg
April 1st, 2009 at 10:46 AM
I agree. This appears to be a rather substantial waste of taxpayer dollars, and it deserves the scrutiny that it is receiving.
April 1st, 2009 at 10:48 AM
Rats! Still doesn’t work.
This one’s close:
http://nwn.bioware.com/builders/images/seahag_profile.jpg
April 1st, 2009 at 10:50 AM
I am glad when we agree Leroy. I would say the same thing if a Republican had done something like this, which is also why I pointed out that the president and Mrs. Obama are using their own funds and not taxpayer dollars to redecorate the White House.
April 1st, 2009 at 11:49 AM
Ryan and Leroy are on the same page on this one.
This explains why the sun was coming up from the west this morning!
April 1st, 2009 at 12:19 PM
I just wonder what it’s going to take for:
A) The unions to relinquish their support for this union-busting DFL AG.
B) The DFL feminist caucus to relinquish their support for a female AG who has shown herself incapable of getting out from under her male mentor.
C) House and Senate DFL caucus members to take notice of the fact that – because of Hatch’s paranoia (thanks, Matt Entenza) – they now need to find another $400,000 in savings in this year’s budget.
D) Patty and Gary to relinquish their unfaithful partnerships.
E) St. Jim Nobles to quit issuing milquetoast reports that do more to protect his “bi-partisan” reputation (and job) than they do to look out for the public interest.
F) MinnPost to prove that it actually has investigative chops and get out there and report the reasons for which Hatch felt the need to install spund-proof doors to protect his successor.
G) The Star Tribune to prove that it’s retained enough reporters to pull off a blockbuster investigative piece just SITTING on the table, awaiting a Pulitzer.
H) Mike Hatch to wake up and decide that he’ll live a life that his daughters won’t one day lie to his grandchildren about.
I) Lori Swanson to make a friend.
April 1st, 2009 at 12:27 PM
I was an assistant attorney general at the office not so long ago, and while the office redecoration budget is a little scandalous, it’s the tip of the iceberg. Unfortunately, it seems like everyone is taking the mindset that “if it were so bad, someone would have done something about it by now.” Since no one has been willing to become that “someone,” Swanson’s misdeeds continue unchecked. I agree that Jim Nobles has been the biggest disappointment – he won’t issue a report unless he’s sure that he’ll have unanimous approval and pats on the back afterward. But that doesn’t excuse the rest of the reporting community. This town doesn’t have a real newspaper anymore, and Lori Swanson is the prime example of what happens when the fourth estate stops watching and reporting.
April 1st, 2009 at 12:28 PM
The good news from all of this is that Swanson’s political career is as far down the drain as Hatch’s.
April 1st, 2009 at 12:37 PM
The most amazing part of this story is that DFL-Pat Kessler reported on it, and didn’t do much whitewashing. Even Don Shelby couldn’t kill this story!
April 1st, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Master of None – I’d like to agree with you, but … until Lori Swanson loses her Scandinavian name and becomes a man, she has a lock on that down ballot race.
Until the unions show some ethics and backbone, the press actually digs into the wrongdoings in that office, and Jim Nobles quite being Mr Milquetoast, she’ll be AG. It’s a pathetic situation that could be remedied by a hint of courage and hard work, but I’m not hopeful. Maybe Al_Gilbert_FELON knows something that we don’t. I hope so.
April 1st, 2009 at 1:00 PM
I can’t find an email address for Swanson. The state directory says it’s not available:
http://www.mail.state.mn.us/
Since Swanson is hiding, let’s all direct our quesions to a Deputy AG, Karen.Olson@state.mn.us
If someone has Swanson’s email address, please post.
April 1st, 2009 at 1:02 PM
The really clever and diabolical thing that Swanson and Hatch have done is made it nearly impossible for attorneys in the office to go on the record about what they know. They’ve had the Minnesota Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility determine that Swanson is the CLIENT (and not just the boss) of the assistant attorneys general in the office. So if any attorney were to go on the record about what they know, Swanson would immediately file charges against the attorney, and have them disciplined for violating attorney/client privilege. It’s draconian and clumsy, but it works. These stories are only going to get out there if reporters dig and investigate and file data practices act requests, and so far, no reporters have shown that initiative. Even Eric Black, bless his heart, hasn’t done any of the hard-hitting stories that require investigation beyond interviews.
The former AAGs in the office know things about Hatch and Swanson that would land the two of them in jail. But what does it matter if the attorneys are gagged and no one – no reporter or auditor or any other official – has the will or the drive to do the investigation and write the story?
April 1st, 2009 at 1:09 PM
Hey Al_Gilbert_FELON:
Quit being coy and tell us about those affidavits you mentioned! Who has them? Who’s gonna get them? Is there a criminal inquiry out there? If the Strib won’t report it, then let it rip right here, on this blog. Who’s claiming felonies in the AG’s office?
April 1st, 2009 at 1:41 PM
Gary Cuckold Swanson, do you know Patti Cuquean Hatch?
April 1st, 2009 at 1:42 PM
Chile, please keep the dialogue relevant and out of the gutter.
That was very inappropriate.
April 1st, 2009 at 2:20 PM
Ryan, you must admit that it was rather clever.
And “inappropriate” is a foghorn-able word.
There’s a number of comments here alluding to an affair between Hatch and Swanson. The alleged relation ship between the two has a lot to do with the current environment at the AG’s office.
I’ll try to be more like danbrome or Hiram (i.e. boring) in the future.
April 1st, 2009 at 2:31 PM
Chile, this just certainly is not the forum to use the word that you used.
Please keep it clean.
April 1st, 2009 at 2:49 PM
Ryan, I used the word “Whore.” Whore; a venal or unscrupulous person.
The other word I used was “_ _ _ _”.
Is it still okay to call Leroy a jackass?
April 1st, 2009 at 3:14 PM
Let’s not forget the quid pro quo between ACORN and the Attorney General’s Office.
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/06/30/laag/
April 1st, 2009 at 4:31 PM
Sorry that I’ve been gone for a while. So why does Petey have his undies in a bundle again?
April 1st, 2009 at 4:57 PM
F) MinnPost to prove that it actually has investigative chops and get out there and report the reasons for which Hatch felt the need to install spund-proof doors to protect his successor.
Ha! MinnPost is nothing but Star Tribune Rejectland. They wouldn’t hire a conservative if one offered to pay them to work there. This place is one wasteland of liberal writers, hopelessly delusional in thinking they’re “unbiased”. I can’t stand to spend more than 30 seconds there at a time.
April 2nd, 2009 at 6:51 PM
[...] On the heels of a story regarding $400,000 in upgrades to the office of the attorney general State Senator David Hann has now called for an investigation by the Legislative Auditor. [...]
October 25th, 2009 at 2:11 PM
[...] Minnesotans tighten their belts, DFL Attorney General Lori Swanson spends the equivalent of ten typical peoples’ incomes giving her offices some [...]