Federal Election Commission

FBI reportedly investigating Michele Bachmann for potential criminal violations

The Iowa Senate has been scrutinizing alleged violations of state ethics rules that occurred during the course of Michele Bachmann's ill-fated presidential campaign. But that's child's play compared to an FBI probe.A SEPARATE SCANDAL: Bachmann's book tour to promote moribund autobiography has her in ... More >>

Norm Coleman's "shadowy" American Action Network under fire for flouting law

Norm Coleman may be Minnesota's most popular prominent Republican, but he isn't feeling any love these days from nonprofit campaign watchdog groups in Washington.Both Democracy 21 and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington have recently called for the IRS and FEC to investigate whether ... More >>

MNGOP evicted from office space, owes about $100,000 to landlord

Talk about a bad tenant!Politics in Minnesota reports that Massachusetts-based Hub Properties Trust has filed paperwork in Ramsey County to evict the MNGOP from the Capitol Office Building space the party had been "renting."We say "renting" because in an internal party memo leaked to Politico earlie ... More >>

Michele Bachmann's presidential campaign, $1 million in debt, didn't live within its means

​Remember Michele Bachmann's vehement opposition to raising the county's debt ceiling? Remember in her book, where she gushes about the way she and Marcus were able to quickly pay down their college loans?Today, it was revealed that Bachmann, an outspoken advocate of fiscal responsibility, didn't ... More >>

MN GOP is $2 million in debt

Former GOP Party Chair Tony Sutton is batting 2 million.​According to new figures released today by the Republican Party's own Internal Finance Review Committee, the GOP is up to its neck in debt -- about $2 million worth. "The debt number is honestly higher than any of us wants it to be," said c ... More >>

Joe Arwood, U.S. Senate candidate, has $7,000, no chance

Joe Arwood has enough money to buy an old Honda or a new suit.​Joe Arwood is a Republican candidate for Amy Klobuchar's U.S. Senate seat. To describe Arwood as a potential "dark horse" candidate is an insult to both darkness and horses. At this point, it's safe to think of Arwood as a no-hoper.Tha ... More >>

Tim Pawlenty, $454,000 in debt, needs help paying Nick Ayers, everyone else

Tim Pawlenty, Nick Ayers: Debtor, creditor.​Tim Pawlenty's campaign ended more than two months ago, coming to an abrupt stop that was like when a party host throws on the lights at midnight and says, "Party's over, everybody out!"Now that we all had our fun at his expense, Pawlenty is stuck with t ... More >>

Minnesota GOP fined $170,000 for FEC violations

The state GOP failed to report nearly $1 million in debt.​The worst time to owe someone money is when you're in debt. That's the case with the  Republican Party of Minnesota, which is already in debt, but now owes the Federal Election Commission $170,000 for campaign finance violations. Funny ... More >>

Marcus Bachmann got $6,230 in gas money during Michele's congressional campaign

Marcus racked up miles at an unbelievable rate in 2006.​Marcus Bachmann got $6,230 in gas money at the end of Michele Bachmann's 2006 campaign for the U.S. House. Not only is that a lot of miles, but it might have violated Federal Election Commission rules, the Daily Caller reports. With the reimb ... More >>

Michele Bachmann's biggest donors

Bachmann got lots of small contributions, and a handful of big ones.​As of June 30, Michele Bachmann's campaign warchest had about $3.7 million in it, $2 million of which she rolled over from her own political action committee. That still means Bachmann for President raised about $1.7 million in a ... More >>

Where Michele Bachmann gets her money

Following the money.​Michele Bachmann may represent Minnesota's 6th congressional district on paper, but she's really America's Congresswoman, playing on a much bigger stage than the northern suburbs and exurbs of the Twin Cities. (Did you catch that star turn at Lincoln Center?) Just take a ... More >>

Michele Bachmann paid Bush speech writers $5,000

Blame the speech writers!​Michele Bachmann is a force of nature when it comes to raising campaign cash. She busted all kinds of fundraising records in her 2010 race for re-election to Congress. She hauled in $2.2 million in the first three months of this while teasing everyone with the idea sh ... More >>

Jeff Larson defends use of RNC funds [INTERVIEW]

By Andy Mannix and Mike Mullen AP ImagesLarson was the CEO and treasurer for the 2008 Republican National Convention host committee.​In 2008, St. Paul hosted the Republican National Convention. Republican strategist Jeff Larson was the CEO and treasurer of the host committee, which raised $65 ... More >>

Jeff Larson used RNC piggy bank to pay friends

Did use of charitable donations violate federal election law?

RNC Piggy Bank: See how the money was spent

The host committee continued to spend long after the convention.​In this week's feature, "RNC Piggy Bank", we examine how the host committee for the 2008 Republican National Convention has been spending its leftover donations since the convention. Though the bulk of the surplus donations went ... More >>

Michele Bachmann fails again on campaign finance reports

Who's watching the books?​For a budget hawk and a former tax pro, Rep. Michele Bachmann sure seems to have an issue with math. Maybe it's because she's got more money than she knows what to do with. The Federal Election Commission has informed her--again--that her year-end campaign finance repo ... More >>

Bachmann under scrutiny for $1.5 million in campaign donations

The tea party caucus chair hasn't accounted for $1.5 million in campaign contributions.​Michele Bachmann bragged in the last campaign cycle about the tens of thousands of small contributions she received from fans all over the country while building a $13 million war chest to defeat Tarryl Cla ... More >>

Target kept on giving to anti-gay politicians after Emmer fiasco

mmtzjr69out​The dust has settled in the wake of the 2010 elections, and the hot white glare on Target's controversial support for anti-gay Republican Tom Emmer's gubernatorial campaign has faded. But FEC records show that the Target political action committee kept up its donations to anti-ga ... More >>

Eddie Izzard's Al Franken donation isn't funny to Jeff Larson

Eddie Izzard can't do that, can he?​Norm Coleman lost his Senate seat to Al Franken, and it looks like Jeff Larson just can't let go. Coleman's D.C. landlord and Sarah Palin's personal shopper is head of an outfit called Senate Accountability Watch. And he's filed a complaint with the Federal ... More >>

Michele Bachmann's $10 million isn't so Minnesotan

Follow the money.​Michele Bachmann has the fattest bank account of anyone running for Congress this year, yet her district has a modest per-caita income and has been one of the hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis. So where has she been raising her nearly $10 million haul? A big chunk is c ... More >>

Michele Bachmann gets $5,000 from Sean Hannity

Sean Hannity is now one of Michele Bachmann's sugar daddies.​No one seriously thinks that Fox News gasbag Sean Hannity is fair and balanced when it comes to Rep. Michele Bachmann. He makes stuff up to try and burnish her image. He prods her to run for the White House alongside Sarah Palin. A ... More >>

Michele Bachmann's team can't spell her own first name

Michele Bachmann: That's one "L," not two​The gaffes keep coming for Michele Bachmann. It turns out someone in the congresswoman's own organization can't even spell her name right in legal documents with the Federal Election Commission. Barry Arrington filed a statement of organization for Ba ... More >>

Tim Pawlenty's PAC beats Sarah Palin's in Q1 fundraising

​Gov. Tim Pawlenty may not have the star power of Sarah Palin -- the $12 million bank account and the Lear Jet mandate and the poll advantage -- but he's ahead of her in at least one area when it comes to a potential 2012 run at the White House: Political action committee fundraising. Palin's ... More >>

Michele Bachmann's campaign organization hit for shoddy bookkeeping by FEC

The FEC finds "one or more contributions that appear to exceed" limits on campaign donations, and other issues.

Troy Freihammer files papers to run against Michele Bachmann

The Sartell resident's positions put him to the right of an already far-right incumbent.

MN News Council backs MinnPost on its DFL finances reporting

Attention those of you convinced that there's a liberal media conspiracy aimed only at fact-checking Republicans.

Bachmann battles nefarious socialists with Twitter

She of the lately lame action figure sales is getting creative with Twitter.

Coleman allowed to use campaign funds to pay legal bills

Never mind that some of those legal bills come from defending against an investigation into his fund-raising.

Coleman can't pay all legal bills for Kazeminy suits with campaign cash, FEC says

The Federal Elections Commission came back to Norm Coleman with two drafted opinions based on his inquiry about paying legal bills with campaign funds.

Coleman wants to use campaign funds for defense in Kazeminy suit

Coleman is asking the FEC if he can use his campaign funds for a defense against allegations in a lawsuit involving a buddy and campaign donor, Nasser Kazeminy.

Tempted to donate $30,400 for Coleman/Franken court costs? FEC says OK

What better way to spend your hard-earned cash than to help Norm Coleman and Al Franken fight to the death in court?

Recount trial roundup: Campaign number crunching, rejected ballots

Franken was back on the interview circuit, reporters start crunching FEC filing numbers, and another searchable absentee ballot database.

Minn. Democrats file FEC complaint against Coleman

The Minnesota DFL filed a Federal Election Commission complaint yesterday against Norm Coleman, alleging he br ... More >>

Coleman's buddy Jeff Larson bought Palin's clothes

Political spending up everywhere except the Quam-Entenza household

Little-known Minneapolis philanthropist is big donor to Dem 527s

Minnesota by the Numbers

Convention Wisdom

10/11: Morning Communique

8/22: Morning Communique

8/12: Morning Communique

Wal-Mart and Target: The color of their money

Taxpayers wanted to line the pockets of multimillionaire developer. All citizens of St. Paul welcome to apply.

The Lawson Commons deal: Norm Coleman gives...and Norm Coleman receives

Norm's number one buddy

Checks Without Balances

McCain-Feingold was supposed to stop the flow of soft money. So what's with all the attack ads?

Burns Loves Quimby

Why is the nuclear-power industry courting Norm Coleman?

Show Us the Money

The real outrage is that big money interests can purchase politicians and policy in ways that are perfectly legal.

Reform Party Revolt

PEROT AND CO: BIG EARS THAT JUST WON'T LISTEN

Soft Money Hardball

End Note