Legislative Auditor: Hatch crossed line but no need for an investigation
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The Legislative Auditor says Attorney General Mike Hatch's decision to mention his running mate, Judi Dutcher, in a news release on state letterhead was inappropriate. However, Legislative Auditor James Nobles says he won't launch a full scale investigation. Nobles says several groups complained that Mike Hatch, the DFL party's endorsed candidate for governor, and Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty were using their offices for political purposes. Hatch's references to his campaign for governor on state letterhead have drawn fire from leaders of both the Minnesota GOP and the Independence Party. Nobles says he turned down the GOP's request for a full investigation but will continue to monitor the situation.
We don't need to have a full blown investigation or wait for an audit for me to tell all of the interested parties that yes I think it's inappropriate to use taxpayer funds and official office resources for any sort of campaign related statements.
Hatch says he doesn't think he did anything wrong by mentioning Judi Dutcher in his press release. Any decision to sanction political campaigns would be in the hands of the state campaign finance board.
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