Senator Michael Kreun (R-Blaine) released the following statement responding to the Senate Subcommittee of Ethical Conduct hearing on the complaint against Senator Bobby Joe Champion (D-Minneapolis) today:
“It’s disappointing that partisanship won out today. Sen. Champion clearly withheld information of interest to the public about his attorney-client relationship with Salem Inc, and as a result taxpayers funded a group with a poor financial track record. Democrats would rather look the other way than acknowledge what is plain to anyone else– Sen. Champion’s actions directing funds to a legal client was wrong. This behavior that puts political preferences before common sense makes Minnesotans feel left out of the capitol conversations. The committee should have stood up for Minnesotans first and made clear this behavior is unacceptable in the Senate.”
The subcommittee failed to pass motions to determine: there was a violation, to find probable cause and proceed, or to find no probable cause; resulting in no further action being taken.