MinnLawyer Blog

The Legislative Audit Commission will meet 1:00 p.m. Monday, June 30, in room 107 of the State Capitol, to discuss, among other things, the Office of the Legislative Auditor’s preliminary assessment of allegations concerning the office of Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson. (For hearing notice, see OLA website.)
In a report issued earlier this month, the [...]

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Despite the internal strife that has gripped the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, AG Lori Swanson made an impressive showing in a report that ACORN released this week ranking state AGs’ efforts fighting mortgage foreclosures.
Swanson was one of six state AGs who got an “A+” from the grassroots community group. The other state AGs [...]

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I think the Star Tribune’s editorial today (“Minnesotans deserve better from AG’s office“) provides a pretty good assessment of the situation at the office of Attorney General Lori Swanson.
Here are a few of the money quotes:

“When this office is in turmoil, as it has been for some time,Minnesotans should pay attention”;
“The findings [of the Office [...]

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Having perused University of St. Thomas School of Law Dean Thomas Mengler’s full 19-page report on the alleged ethical improprieties at the Minnesota Attorney General Office, I can break the findings into two distinct parts – one I agree with, and one I don’t.
Regarding the allegations against AG Lori Swanson and Deputy AG Karen Olson, [...]

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The Star Tribune reports that Attorney General Lori Swanson has fired Amy Lawler, the young assistant AG who has been under suspension since she went public with accusations against her boss of mismanagement, union-busting and ethical improprieties.
The action reportedly came after University of St. Thomas School of Law Dean Thomas Mengler, whom the AG commissioned [...]

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If this blog had a “Profiles in Courage” award, I would without hesitation bestow it upon Rep. Steve Simon, DFL- St. Louis Park.
Simon’s name has unfairly been dragged through the mud as of late as a direct result of his having the temerity to break ranks with his party and be the lone DFLer on [...]

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We just passed the one-year anniversary of the day (April 5, 2007) when three top deputies and one administrator at the office of then-U.S. Attorney Rachel Paulose stepped down from their leadership posts in protest of her management style. It’s an interesting milestone to reach as we await the results of a preliminary investigation by [...]

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The state’s legislative auditor is launching a preliminary investigation to determine if there is any basis for allegations of ethical and legal misconduct occurring in Attorney General Lori Swanson’s office.
For the Minnesota Lawyer article, click here.
Since the auditor is going to limit his review to just the ethical and legal complaints, perhaps University of St. [...]

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A couple of interesting developments in the ongoing controversy that has been much reported as of late in the Attorney General’s Office. The Associated Press is reporting that AG Lori Swanson wrote in a letter to Legislative Auditor James Nobles that union organizers “have largely made anonymous and conclusory allegations in the press and blogosphere.”
According [...]

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The Star Tribune has weighed in on the turmoil in the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General with an editorial calling for an independent review by the legislative auditor (“Resolution needed in AG controversy.”) I think that is a fair proposal and one that I hope AG Lori Swanson takes to heart.
Critics of the union [...]

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