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Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton is urging further scrutiny into the stadium deal following the news that Mark and Zygi Wilf have 

lost a big real estate court case in New Jersey

. His deputy chief of staff, Bob Hume, just put out this statement:

A judge in New Jersey ruled against the Wilf brothers earlier this week, saying the two had systematically cheated their partners in a 764-unit apartment building in Montville, N.J.

"The bad faith and evil motive were demonstrated in the testimony of Zygi Wilf himself," Superior Court Judge Deanne Wilson said, adding the Wilfs hadn't fulfilled the "barest minimum" of their pledges as partners in the deal. "I do not believe I have seen one single financial statement that is true and accurate."

Officially, she ruled that Zygi Wilf, his brother Mark and cousin Leonard committed fraud, breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty and violated New Jersey's civil racketeering law.

The news comes as the Vikings and the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority are negotiating the final terms of a use agreement -- essentially the stadium lease -- for the new facility the state agreed to build last year. Taxpayers are also financing $348 million of the $975 million project. The Vikings agreed in 2012 to pay $477 million of the deal.

"This is a private business matter and involves a business dispute," Vikings vice president of public affairs Lester Bagley told the Associated Press yesterday. "But it will not impact the Vikings or the stadium project."

Michele Kelm-Helgen, chairwoman of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority wasn't immediately available for comment, but issued this statement this afternoon:

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Tim Nelson

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Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton is urging further scrutiny into the stadium deal following the news that Mark and Zygi Wilf have lost a big real estate court case in New Jersey. His deputy chief of staff, Bob Hume, just put out this statement: “I am deeply concerned by the Judge’s findings that the Wilf family…

Vikings stadium news conference at State Capitol

UPDATED: Dayton ‘deeply concerned’ about NJ case against Vikings owners

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