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Press Release: Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer applauded for considering new action to prevent political plants in Minnesota AG’s office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 29, 2019

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Katie Fulkerson
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Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer applauded for considering new action to prevent political plants in Minnesota AG’s office

(St. Paul, MN) – Doug Seaton, President of Upper Midwest Law Center, released a statement following Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer’s announcement she will consider new action to prevent political plants in Minnesota AG’s office:

“I applaud Senator Mary Kiffmeyer’s plan to pursue additional legislation addressing AG Keith Ellison’s scheme to allow Democrat donor Michael Bloomberg to ‘embed’ lawyers with political agendas in the Minnesota Attorney General’s office.

“These lawyers, claiming to represent Minnesotans, have no place in the lawful, ethical representation of our State’s interests.  They are political plants.  We believe current law already makes this an unlawful practice, but additional legislation is warranted to provide clarity and additional remedies for this political shanghaiing of the peoples’ law firm.”

The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office is the latest defendant in a string of lawsuits filed across the nation attempting to shed light on Michael Bloomberg’s unethical and illegal scheme to plant lawyers in state AG offices to pursue his political agenda.  The suit was filed by Minnesota nonprofit law firm Upper Midwest Law Center and the nonprofit public interest law firm Government Accountability & Oversight, P.C., on behalf of the State of Washington-based Energy Policy Advocates after two separate requests for data under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act were denied by Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office.  The Wall Street Journal editorial board called the arrangement “State AGs for Rent.”  Read about the lawsuit here.

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