Newman, who is from Hutchinson and sits on the influential Senate Health and Human Services Committee, said he had first heard of the email early Tuesday morning. “It’s just an error, that’s all,” he said.He first heard of the email Tuesday morning? Really?
I knew about it around noon on Monday, when a Startribune reporter asked me questions about the MNA endorsement and if any donations from the MNA followed. The same Startribune reporter had stated that he called to seek comment from the Senator on Thursday, several times on Friday, and several times on Monday.
Again, I find it very difficult to believe that Senator Newman didn't know about this email for 5 days.
It's time for Senator Newman to come clean...his constituents in SD 18 are waiting.
1 comment:
Imagine what would have happened if a DFL’er had refused to meet the chamber of commerce because they backed their opponent.
Newman’s first defense was that so many lobbyists were bugging him that he didn’t have time to meet with constituents. Then he said it was his La’s fault.
Now the La didn’t get the information from the campaign finance report because the MNA didn’t contribute to Kimball.
She didn’t get it from Hal’s website because that’s been down since Dec.
She didn’t get from the MNA website because it’s not on there.
The MNA didn’t do a mailing or really anything else in the district so she didn’t get it there.
So” What possibilities exist.
1. The La spent considerable time (a half an hour or more), without instruction or contrary to her boss’s instruction, researching any and all appointments with Mr. Newman to determine if they endorsed Hal. Then she made the sole determination without any impute from Newman or anyone else to exclude anyone who supported (however weakly) Hal.
2. The La received help from the GOP senate caucus in determining Newman’s appointments complete with an “enemies list”. Since Newman claims that he didn’t know of the MNA desire to meet with him, who did she contact to make the sole determination that they would not be allowed to meet for the reason’s she so clearly laid out? If not Newman then it must have been the Senate GOP caucus.
3. Newman is lying, The La told him of the meeting and he stated that he would not meet with them.
If you accept Newman’s story and the answer is #1 then the La used state time and resources to do campaigning. Every La knows this is not allowed and they are drilled not to engage in this type of activity. The La should be fired and Newman should reimburse the state for cost occurred and a fine for misuse of state funds.
If it’s proven that #2 is the answer that opens a whole new can of worms and the senate GOP caucus is guilty of using taxpayer dollars for campaign purposes.
If it’s # 3 then we have a liar for State senator in district 18. We also have someone who would throw their staffer under the bus to save their own hide and refuses to take responsibility for his own actions. Newman was in the house for two years and he was well schooled in knowing this was wrong for many reasons.
No matter what, The La needs to be fired; Newman needs to know what’s going on in his own office and the actions of his staff of one, Newman needs a refresher course on ethics and the Senate GOP caucus need to be investigated to determine what role they played (if any) and if they played a role what other members are practicing this type of behavior.
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