Wintry mix spreads across Minnesota

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The Republican-endorsed candidate for Minnesota Supreme Court has filed a complaint against the state Republican Party and its leaders.

Michelle MacDonald, who won the GOP endorsement in May, accused the party of threatening her if she didn't drop her campaign and of disseminating false campaign materials about her.

“I’m bringing light to what I call invisible corruption,” MacDonald said at an afternoon press conference.

MacDonald has been at odds with Republican Party Chair Keith Downey and other party leaders since  it came to light in June that she had been charged with drunk driving and resisting arrest in 2013.

Party leaders tried to keep MacDonald from campaigning at the GOP State Fair booth.

MacDonald claims they violated the law by trying to force her to drop her campaign and give up the party’s endorsement. She claims attorney Patrick Burns told her in text messages and in a phone call that party leaders were going to "come gunnin [sic] after you and it's just gonna [sic] get worse from here on out."

She said she wants sanctions against Downey, Republican Party State Committee member Pat Anderson, attorney Burns and Republican Party Judicial Election Committee chair Doug Seaton.

“Accountability for one thing,” MacDonald replied when asked what remedies she was seeking. “There are criminal sanctions involved.”

The complaint was filed with the Minnesota Office of Administrative Hearings. Prior to the filing, Downey declined to comment on MacDonald’s complaint. He said the party is  focused on other candidates. Anderson, Seaton and Burns could not be reached for comment.

MacDonald’s court date for her drunken driving arrest is scheduled for Sept. 15 in Dakota County.  She said she is innocent and sidestepped several questions about what happens to her campaign if she is convicted.

Attorney Greg Wersal, who appeared alongside MacDonald at the news conference, said he will continue to back MacDonald even if she’s found guilty.

"I’m going to be voting for her irregardless,” Wersal said. “And I’m going to tell others to vote for her irregardless.”

MacDonald is asking the Office of Administrative Hearings to hear the case in an expedited manner.

U.S. Senate candidate Mike McFadden, said he will not vote for MacDonald. Scott Newman, the Republican candidate for Minnesota Attorney General, said he is backing Supreme Court Associate Justice David Lillehaug, a Democrat.  Newman said MacDonald doesn’t have the temperament to sit on the Supreme Court.

Jeff Johnson, the endorsed candidate for governor, said last week that he’s backing MacDonald but called her actions a “distraction” to the party.

: Johnson is no longer backing MacDonald's campaign.

"As the leader of the Republican ticket, I tried hard to remain patient with Michelle MacDonald during these past few weeks," Johnson said in a prepared statement. "Her actions, however, show me that she is not interested in waging a serious campaign and I can no longer support her. I'll likely be writing someone in for Supreme Court Justice."

Politics and Government News

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Tom Scheck

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The Republican Party’s endorsed candidate for Minnesota Supreme Court has filed a complaint against the state Republican Party and its leaders.

GOP-backed MacDonald files complaint against party

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