By Jeremy Portnoy of RealClearInvestigations
Prime line: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz accepted $890,000 in marketing campaign contributions from workers, together with C-suite executives A brand new report from OpenTheBooks discovered that there have been 434 state-owned suppliers between 2019 and 2022.
The businesses collected almost $15 billion in funds from the state between 2019 and 2023, in keeping with the State Checkbook.
Key details: The donations had been all directed towards Walz’s re-election marketing campaign as Minnesota governor and had been made earlier than he turned the Democratic vice presidential nominee.
Donors embody CEOs, presidents and different senior executives from 86 state-owned suppliers.
Marketing campaign data present workers on the legislation agency Blackwell Burke donated $4,750 to Walz’s gubernatorial marketing campaign and acquired almost $200,000 every from the state. Co-founder Jerry Blackwell was one of many prosecutors who helped convict Derek Chauvin of murdering George Floyd.
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Ted Mondale, director of latest enterprise improvement and authorities relations for laptop consulting agency Atomic Information, donated $2,250 to Walz. His firm acquired one other $169,311 from the state. Mondale is a former Democratic state senator and the son of former U.S. Sen. Walter Mondale of Minnesota, who additionally served as Jimmy Carter’s vp.
Kinsale Communications acquired $160,583 in state payouts, though no on-line data of the enterprise exist. President Steve Kinsella and his household donated $3,000 to Walz’s marketing campaign.
Different Walz marketing campaign donors who’ve acquired nationwide enterprise embody Goal, Basic Mills, Fortune 500 manufacturing firm 3M, and financial institution chains akin to Wells Fargo and U.S. Financial institution.
background: It’s almost inconceivable to find out which transactions, if any, signify precise conflicts of curiosity.
The Minnesota Checkbook incorporates solely greenback values and lists of firms that obtain state funds. Whereas close by states like Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota are extra clear, the state ignored OpenTheBooks’ freedom of data requests for particulars about every transaction.
As of December 31, 2023, Walz completed his re-election marketing campaign with greater than $627,000 money readily available. The particular person returned the cash to the presidential ticket.
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Abstract: Many Minnesota distributors might obtain state enterprise even with out donating to Walz’s marketing campaign — but when anybody will get preferential therapy, taxpayers ought to learn about it.
#WasteOfTheDay is delivered to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com
Syndicated with permission from RealClearWire.
