Waste of the Day: Walz Campaign Donors Received $15 Billion in State Business

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz Under Scrutiny for Campaign Donations from State Vendors

By Jeremy Portnoy for RealClearInvestigations

Topline: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has come under fire for accepting $890,000 in campaign donations from employees, including C-suite executives, of 434 state vendors between 2019 and 2022, according to a recent report from OpenTheBooks. These companies received nearly $15 billion in payments from the state during the same period.

Key Facts:

• The donations were made to Walz’s campaign for reelection as governor of Minnesota before he became the Democratic vice presidential nominee.
• CEOs, presidents, and other executives of 86 state vendors were among the donors.
• Employees of law firm Blackwell Burke donated $4,750 to Walz’s campaign and received almost $200,000 from the state. Co-founder Jerry Blackwell was involved in the Derek Chauvin trial.
• Ted Mondale of Atomic Data donated $2,250 to Walz, and his company received $169,310 from the state. Mondale is the son of former Vice President Walter Mondale.
• Kinsale Communications, a company with limited online presence, received $160,583 in state spending, with President Steve Kinsella and family members donating $3,000 to Walz’s campaign.
• Other donors that received state business included Target, General Mills, 3M, Wells Fargo, and U.S. Bank.

Background:

It is challenging to determine if these transactions represent conflicts of interest as detailed transaction information is not readily available. Nearby states like Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota provide more transparency in their state spending data.

As of December 31, 2023, Walz had over $627,000 in cash from his reelection campaign. While he cannot transfer this to a presidential campaign, he could potentially refund the contributions and ask donors to redirect the funds.

Summary:

While many Minnesota vendors may have received state business regardless of campaign donations, taxpayers deserve transparency to ensure fairness in the allocation of state contracts. The investigation by OpenTheBooks sheds light on potential conflicts of interest that need further scrutiny.

The #WasteOfTheDay is brought to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com

Syndicated with permission from RealClearWire.