I was sent the triumphant email Mimi Larson sent her Move Duluth Forward troops. I’m glad she draws attention to my blog even while misreporting its contents. That way her supporters will see her mistake when they come to check it out.
Harry also made another accusation on his web site — that MoveForwardDuluth has taken illegal corporate contributions. Harry is wrong, and he needs a crash course in Minnesota’s public disclosure laws. Corporations, associations and individuals can spend money to support or oppose actions of the school board because of that same First Amendment — the one that allows Harry to say whatever he wants about the Facilities Plan and the school board. If they spend money on a ballot question, those expenditures need to be reported, as Let Duluth Vote is finding out. Corporate contributions are also illegal if they are intended to go to a candidate or a political party. MFD has never supported any candidate or political party.
Here’s the post and here’s what I said:
“Contractors, architects, and trade unions who have contributed to Move Forward Duluth should be revealed. Corporate donations may be illegal.”
Contractors and architects have the same right as any individual donor to give of their personal money. Corporate contributions to political campaigns are verboten. The last sentence doesn’t even say that Move Forward Duluth was given corporate contributions. If they were given they were certainly given with the understanding that MFD wouldn’t use the funds for political purposes. I infer from her email that MFD has accepted corporate contributions.
My supposition that MFD has pulled its website to cover its tracks might be wrong or maybe my supposition has goaded them into reinstall it after an attempt to pull it down.
MFD is still shrouded in mystery. There is no information on the ownership, payment or managment of it on the who is site.
Now if Mimi would just send me her reply to that email of mine that she promised to send me.
