Collusion & Coverup

Pete Stauber has been caught red-handed when it comes to his use of official resources for campaign interaction with the National Republican Congressional Campaign. He and the County have engaged in a coverup to hide the collusion between himself and Washington special interests.

The following is a publicly known timeline of his actions and that of fellow County Commissioners that have engaged in efforts to fight the coverup or become complicit in it themselves.

Timeline

July 10, 2017 – Stauber announces he will run for Congress in MN8. Prior to formal announcements, political advisers within the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) often advise candidates on strategy and efforts to roll-out their campaigns, so it is possible there are emails between Stauber and the NRCC earlier than this date.

December 2017 – Duluth News Tribune reporters lament that it was around this time when their newspaper had made some sort of data request to St. Louis County for correspondence between St. Louis County Commissioner Pete Stauber and the NRCC.

March 20, 2018 – Star Tribune reporter J. Patrick Coolican made a data request to St. Louis County for all correspondence between St. Louis County Commissioner Pete Stauber and the NRCC.

April 3, 2018 – The coverup at St. Louis County is first known to publicly begin (via MN Department of Admin opinion). The County responded to the Star Tribune by stating it had recovered 15 responsive emails, but that they were withholding the data pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 13.601, subdivision 2. (The Duluth News Tribune also requested an advisory opinion regarding the County’s classification of the emails.)

• As far as we know, any emails that Pete has exchanged subsequently with the NRCC (beyond 2017 into late March/April 2018) should also be revealed to the public. There is possibly a large trove of correspondence not captured by the earlier request.

May 30, 2018 – Stauber hosts Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas at the Public Safety Building, home of the Duluth Police Department and St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office. Stauber moderated the event and was mentioned and quoted in the county news release. Senior Stauber campaign advisor Keith Nelson sits adjacent to McCaul.

• The lead story covering the roundtable: In an event that seemed to blur the worlds of campaigning and legislating, a federal lawmaker stopped in Duluth on Wednesday to discuss port and border security in the Northland.

June 20, 2018 – Stauber rallies with President Trump in Duluth. During a roundtable prior to the rally, Stauber senior campaign adviser Nelson says, “And if I can just talk fair trade for just a second.  In about six months, you’re going to take from the St. Louis county board probably one of the best commissioners we’ve had in 20 years.  Okay? I want something back.  Okay?”

August 29, 2018 – St. Louis County Commissioner Pete Stauber invites Congressman Greg Walden of Oregon to Duluth to learn more about the treatment and recovery help being offered in St. Louis County for people battling opioid addictions using official government resources. Only after public pressure grows later on, Stauber clarifies that this was always intended to be a campaign event.

September 6, 2018 – Star Tribune breaks the story that St. Louis County Commissioner Pete Stauber, the Republican candidate for Congress in the Eighth Congressional District, communicated with a key GOP group in Washington using his government e-mail address, according to a review of county records.

• Stauber’s press secretary termed the news of the emails “desperate smears from the left.”
• St. Louis County refuses to release the emails under renewed public attention and pressure.

September 7, 2018 – A news conference at the Labor Temple calling for transparency is held. “I’d like to know what the content of those emails are,” [8th Congressional District DFL Chair Emily] Nygren said. “Fifteen emails is still a back-and-forth conversation, so is it fundraising that he’s been doing on his government time through those emails, or are they policy decisions? We really deserve to have those answers.”

• Collusion between the NRCC and Stauber continues. When asked to address the Stauber/NRCC emails, NRCC spokesperson Maddie Anderson declined.
• Stauber’s campaign described the issue as “smears” in a statement. It reissued the very same statement on Friday the 7th, calling the candidate “laser focused” and “not getting distracted.”

September 8, 2018 – Senior advisor to the Stauber campaign Keith Nelson is quoted as saying “It is a nothing, nothing, nothing complaint.  “I don’t know what the world is getting to” he says in response to the email coverup.  

September 11, 2018 – St. Louis County Commissioner Tom Rukavina urges fellow Commissioner Stauber to release the emails in question during a board meeting; Keith Nelson threatens to silence Rukavina with the force of the County attorney.

Rukavina: “The bottom line is this: We aren’t the FBI in St. Louis County, we’re not the CIA. We don’t have anything to hide. I guess, Commissioner Stauber, I would urge you to just tell people. Maybe it’s an innocent mistake, maybe they only contacted you and you didn’t contact them back. “I think transparency is important. Nobody should be above the law and it’s an issue that’s going on in the whole country right now. I have to look all of you in the eye and just ask you this question: If there had been a secretary or a truck driver that used their county computer to say something like ‘meet me after work,’ they all put up lawn signs for so-and-so, I can only imagine what might have happened.”

Nelson: Interjecting that Rukavina was “bordering” with his comments, Chair Keith Nelson said that he’ll “have to turn to the attorney shortly if you’re going continue.”

Rukavina: “I’m not bordering on anything. I’m just making my opinion public and saying that I have concerns.”

September 19, 2018 – Dennis Frazier and other St. Louis County employees make a statement holding Stauber accountable for using county resources to promote an opioid roundtable with former NRCC Chairman Greg Walden back in August where Stauber’s name shows up as “Candidate for Congress.” Frazier also filed a written complaint with the county.

Frazier: “We need resources to help people, not county commissioners run for higher office. Where are the checks and balances by the other commissioners and the administrators in St. Louis county to keep this in line? It is with regret we have to be here to raise this issue, but it’s necessary to do so.”

Stauber, via statement, attacks Joe Radinovich for standing with Keith Ellison:  “As a 23-year law enforcement officer, I have seen firsthand the devastating effects the opioid crisis has on our community and I was proud to bring together stakeholders and local and federal officials for an informative meeting last month at a treatment facility in Duluth. While we made it clear to press from the beginning my campaign organized the meeting, other county commissioners were invited and I should have made a clear distinction for the county when it promoted the worthwhile event. I regret the confusion, but repeat my motive that we can all embrace: we must work to combat this national crisis that is killing our citizens young and old.”

“As Pete tries to bring people together to address this devastating crisis, it’s unfortunate that Joe Radinovich and the DFL feign outrage over a misunderstanding about an opioids awareness event, yet proudly stand with Keith Ellison who is currently being accused of domestic violence and mental and physical abuse.”

September 25, 2018 – Leita Walker, counsel for Star Tribune asked the Commissioner to issue an advisory opinion regarding the Star Tribune’s right to access certain data maintained by St. Louis County. Nick Campanario, attorney for the County, provided comments in support of his client.

September 25, 2018 – St. Louis County holds a board meeting with the majority of the board voting to oppose adding a resolution to the County Board’s Oct. 2 agenda calling for Stauber to release any emails related to his 8th Congressional District candidacy where he used his county email. Commissioner Tom Rukavina cast the sole vote in favor of taking up the issue at the board’s Oct. 2 meeting.

• Stauber didn’t comment comment during the discussion at the board meeting.
• Nelson: Called it “politics at its ugliest. I think it’s politicizing. I think it’s one of the worst examples I’ve ever seen on the St. Louis County Board of trying to embarrass a commissioner or make something out of nothing for political purposes.”
• Nelson alleged that Rukavina brought the issue to the County Board to “smear a fellow commissioner.” Rukavina pointed out that they were discussing it on Tuesday because Nelson reintroduced the resolution after Rukavina removed it from the agenda.
• Rukavina: “I’m not trying to smear anyone. I’m trying to get to the bottom of truthfulness and honesty,” Rukavina responded.

October 16, 2018 – Minnesota Department of Administration issued an opinion finding the emails between Pete Stauber and the National Republican Campaign Committee to be public data and that St. Louis County misinterpreted state law regarding its treatment of the emails. This ruling effectively negates the procedural argument Pete Stauber had been hiding behind for months. Stauber’s campaign calls this “yet another desperate smear.”

October 17, 2018 – Against a state agency’s recommendation, St. Louis County again refused to release e-mails sought by the Star Tribune between Pete Stauber, a St. Louis County commissioner and Republican candidate for Congress, and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). Randy Lebedoff, general counsel for the Star Tribune, replied: “I am astonished that public officials would take such a position. I guess we will see them in court.”

October 19, 2018  – St. Louis County Commissioners Tom Rukavina and Frank Jewell called on Pete Stauber to release his emails.

Rukavina: “Pete Stauber’s emails are back in the news. As I predicted, the issue hasn’t gone away now that the Minnesota Department of Administration had ruled the emails should be public information. Our elected county attorney doesn’t agree with me that the emails should be released, nor does the majority of the elected county board. So my advice to Commissioner Stauber is this; you don’t need the county attorney or county board to get in the middle of this debate. According to our attorney and state law, you can release them on your own. So be a big boy and just do it. Don’t make the taxpayers of St. Louis County waste their money defending you in court case that need not happen. What are you hiding, what are you afraid of?”

Jewell: “For the good of the County, in the interest of transparency, and out of respect for other County officials Pete should immediately release the requested emails.”

6 Questions to Ask

In light of the Department’s ruling and Stauber’s continued refusal to release the emails, reporters should be asking the following questions:

1. St. Louis County has made it clear that the emails in question could be easily released if you consented to their release. Why do you continue to refuse to release the emails?
2. In any of the emails, do you discuss fundraising tactics or events, and/or Republican policy priorities, such as the American Health Care Act that Congressional Republicans attempted to force into law?
3. Given your ongoing role as a member of the County Board of Commissioners, is there a conflict of interest?Have you inappropriately used your position as a County Commissioner to block the release of these emails?
4. Since these emails are public records, and have been ruled as such by the Department of Administration, why are the taxpayers of St. Louis County not entitled to see them?
5. You could clear this controversy up in ten minutes by agreeing to make the emails public. Doesn’t your actively blocking the release of the emails suggest they contain messages or sentiments that you don’t want the public to see?
6. Doesn’t your continued refusal to release 15 emails just place more financial burden, in the form of lawsuits, on an already strained county budget? Why are you doing this to the taxpayers of St. Louis County?