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MN GOP MEDIA ADVISORY: “TIME FOR RYBAK TO COME CLEAN ON $26,500 IN POLLING EXPENDITURES”
By Luke Hellier | October 12, 2009
St. Paul- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Tony Sutton today called on Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak to release information regarding a $26,500 polling expenditure he listed on his 2009 R.T. for Mayor Pre-Primary Report.
“Now that R.T. Rybak has finally admitted spending his own money on his extensive travels across the state to build support for a gubernatorial candidacy, it’s time for him to come clean on the $26,500 he spent on polling expenditures from his mayoral campaign committee account.
In order to demonstrate the polling was truly about running for reelection as mayor and not a front for a gubernatorial run, Rybak needs to reveal the truth about:
- the polling methodology;
- the polling universe;
- and the area codes of the respondents.â€
Rybak: $26,500 For Polling To Run For Reelection As Mayor Of Minneapolis?
On May 25, 2009, Rybak Shelled Out $26,500 For A Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Polling. (R.T. for Mayor Pre-Primary Report, Filed September 11, 2009)
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14 Responses to “MN GOP MEDIA ADVISORY: “TIME FOR RYBAK TO COME CLEAN ON $26,500 IN POLLING EXPENDITURES””
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October 12th, 2009 at 4:08 PM
Is it he position of Tony Sutton that anyone who polls on issues related to the state of Minnesota is running for governor?
Is Mr. Sutton willing to demand similar disclosures from all Republicans in the state?
October 12th, 2009 at 5:28 PM
Hiram, is RT saying that he is not running for governor?
October 12th, 2009 at 6:07 PM
According to MDE which seems to spend a lot of time and effort on the subject, here is what RT has said:
“I think it is best to run one race at a time,”.
October 12th, 2009 at 6:41 PM
Hector:
The point is this. Did this poll which Rybeck did poll the city of Minneapolis for the Mayor’s race or did it poll the state for the governor’s race.
If Rybeck used money given for his mayor’s race to run for another office (aka polling for governor) he has misused his campaign funds which is a violation of the law.
Is that such a complicated concept for you to understand. I mean you want the Democrats obeying the law since you want us Republicans to obey the law.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
October 12th, 2009 at 8:06 PM
“If Rybak used money given for his mayor’s race to run for another office (aka polling for governor) he has misused his campaign funds which is a violation of the law.”
Which law is that? Can you provide a citation?
October 12th, 2009 at 8:22 PM
Mr. Hanson,
You may have come late to the discussion. The legal issue that has been discussed with reference to particular statutes is that Rybak may be a candidate for governor, and as such is required to make certain filings. I dispute that, but it is a disputable issue.
Whether Rybak has misused mayoral campaign funds is a separate issue. The Republican Party isn’t, as far as I know, making that claim (or charge, or complaint, or kvetch) but people on this board are, but they haven’t been able to cite to a statute. This isn’t my field of expertise, but I don’t believe that there is a statute which describes in such precise terms what campaign funds can or cannot be used for. If you can direct me to a statute that does provide such detailed guidance, I would be very interested.
October 13th, 2009 at 3:45 PM
Hiram, you keep asking for statutes. I keep giving them to you. You ignore them, and keep asking like you are unaware they exist.
Minnesota 10A.105
“Single committee.A candidate must not accept contributions from a source, other than self, in aggregate in excess of $100 or accept a public subsidy unless the candidate designates and causes to be formed a single principal campaign committee for each office sought.â€
https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/statutes/?id=10A.105
October 13th, 2009 at 4:40 PM
Your statute applies to candidates. The issue is, who is a candidate? Below is the relevant statute:
“Subd. 10.Candidate.
“Candidate” means an individual who seeks nomination or election as a state constitutional officer, legislator, or judge. An individual is deemed to seek nomination or election if the individual has taken the action necessary under the law of this state to qualify for nomination or election, has received contributions or made expenditures in excess of $100, or has given implicit or explicit consent for any other person to receive contributions or make expenditures in excess of $100, for the purpose of bringing about the individual’s nomination or election. A candidate remains a candidate until the candidate’s principal campaign committee is dissolved as provided in section 10A.24.”
The statute is admittedly, a little vague, but I don’t see any seeking going on, and the statute only makes sense if the expenditures are made, and the contributions are received in the context of such seeking. Showing up at farmfest is not itself seeking office, even if you spend a hundred dollars there.
October 13th, 2009 at 5:17 PM
Hiram, why would a non-candidate participate in a candidate formula.
Farmfest is but one of the outstate stumps RT has made. I doubt RT spends much money at the events themselves. But certainly, he’s spent far more than $100 on travel alone. Ultimately, unless he’s paid for expenses out of pocket, he’s a candidate.
If RT had declared himself a candidate a year ago, that would not change the issue. More than $100 has been spent on his efforts to run for governor. Per statutes, RT is a candidate for govenor.
As far as the $26,500 poll, a mere 0.4% would put him over the $100 threshhold. Even if RT’s poll was 99.5 percent exclusive to the city of Minneapolis, there exists a smoking gun to suggest that he is indeed campaigning for governor.
October 13th, 2009 at 6:50 PM
“why would a non-candidate participate in a candidate formula.”
To participate in a vigorous exchange of views. I know if I were invited to participate in a candidate forum, I would show up.
Lots of people conduct polls who aren’t running for anything.
October 13th, 2009 at 6:53 PM
Hiram, RT is running for two things: Mayor and Governor.
October 13th, 2009 at 7:08 PM
That explains all the RT for governor signs I have been seeing.
October 14th, 2009 at 2:04 AM
Hiram, what do RT’s signs say? Is there a convenient spot to slap on a “for Governor” sticker.
October 14th, 2009 at 5:54 AM
“Is there a convenient spot to slap on a “for Governor†sticker.”
I don’t know, but the question now is whether such a sticker is already there.