DULUTH, Minn. — A judge has ordered St. Louis County to release a series of emails between County Commissioner Pete Stauber and the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Stauber sent and received the messages on his county government email account while campaigning for the 8th District seat in northeastern Minnesota. The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party had sued for access to the emails.
County spokeswoman Dana Kazel says the deadline to produce the documents is noon Wednesday, but the county will release them if the party posts the required bond.
DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin hailed the ruling as a victory for accountability.
This was use of a business computer for what appears to be political purposes; with Stauber and the county giving the appearance it was all or primarily political, by vigorous opposition to release of content.
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Strib follow-up coverage of email content.
Jeremy Drucker, a spokesman for Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters, said in a statement, “These e-mails clearly show that the plot to undermine the Boundary Waters began long ago.”
Whatever the outcome of the election, the judge’s decision this week is an important ruling in the realm of open records law.
Earlier in October, a state agency issued an advisory opinion stating the e-mails are public records and should be handed over. The county ignored the ruling.
The order did not elucidate the judge’s reasoning but merely said the plaintiff “has the right to obtain or access the public data requested.”
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The Radinovich campaign released a statement, true in its content, and the wonder is whether it, truth, or soundbite TV 30sec trash will carry an election:
These emails are clear evidence that Pete Stauber has been openly and knowingly violating the law and county policy to use taxpayer resources to advance his political agenda. Stauber then went on to lie about the fact that he had used county staff and resources for campaign purposes, and he knew it was illegal to do so. It’s part of a broader pattern of misleading the public. He’s been as slippery on his policy positions as he has been untruthful about these emails, and it's clear Stauber can’t be trusted to do the right thing when no one is looking.
Stauber and his campaign folks strike me as Wardlow pal Bob Kroll, with Stauber having a touch more class and probably better ice hockey skill, but with the same attitude of "got the badge" so "call the rules." One rule I had even forgot writing of is "pay your parking meters" as Dylan sang in his early years; so hat tip to Dan Burns for broadcasting the Joe R. explanation of things, with added commentary, and linking to something here I had largely forgotten having written. Yeah, Joe drove like a minor scofflaw, when young, but Stauber ignores Kurt Daudt still doing that. It is convenient to be able to be like a flounder, both eyes on one side of the head, and able to ignore what contradicts attack dog tactics, but it is not a trait suggesting good service would happen if Stauber is sent to Congress. "Got the badge" is only a preliminary requirement to being a good cop. "Got integrity" matters, respect for rules, now and for the ones that count more, such as do not use public property to push a private party's run for office. Basic stuff like that. Not quantum mechanics where you need to understand the math.