DFL Party Statement on the Ousting of Representative Cheney

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SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Today, DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin released the following statement following Representative Liz Cheney’s ousting from Republican Party leadership: 

“Donald Trump’s lies and conspiracy theories about the 2020 elections led to the storming of the United States Capitol in a violent attempt to overthrow American democracy. Congressional Republicans just removed Representative Liz Cheney from party leadership for acknowledging that basic fact, fighting back against those lies, and voting to hold the perpetrator accountable.

“Representatives Hagedorn, Emmer, Fischbach, and Stauber should have joined Cheney in working to stop the Big Lie from becoming part of Republican dogma. Instead, they meekly sat back and allowed Cheney to take the fall for standing up for truth, for the rule of law, and for our democracy. This act of political cowardice on the part of Minnesota’s Republican Congressional delegation should not be forgiven and it must not be forgotten.

“It is abundantly clear that the Republican Party is now the party of Donald Trump, the Big Lie, and the January insurrection, and every single Republican who allowed that to happen should be deeply ashamed of the miserable and morally bankrupt state of their party.”

DFL Party Statement on Minnesota Republicans’ Votes to Keep a Dangerous Bigot on Key House Committees


SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA  – Today, the Minnesota DFL Party condemned Representatives Hagedorn, Emmer, Fischbach, and Stauber for voting to keep Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene on several key House Committees after her dangerous, extremist, and cruel behaviors and beliefs came to light.

Despite the Minnesota Republican delegation’s “no” votes, the House removed Representative Greene from the Budget Committee and the Committee on Education and Labor after it came to light that Greene:

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Minnesota Republicans in Congress dismiss impeachment even as support grows

Republicans in Minnesota’s congressional delegation all said Tuesday that they are opposed to the impeachment of President Donald Trump in his final days in office, arguing it would be divisive after previously expressing doubts about the legitimacy of President-elect Joe Biden’s win.

“I think impeachment is going to only further divide an already divided country,” Republican U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber said in an interview Tuesday. “I think it is time we all tone down our rhetoric and understand that first and foremost, we’re Americans.”

The House is expected to take up articles of impeachment against Trump on Wednesday, in response to his role in inciting last Wednesday’s violent attack on the House and Senate last week. While decrying the violence and calling now for unity, all four Minnesota Republicans previously made public expressions of support for Trump’s unfounded claims of voter fraud, and three of them signed on to an unsuccessful legal effort to overturn Biden’s win. Continue reading.

Minnesota Republicans divided over certifying presidential election results

Once the violent pro-Trump mob was cleared from the nation’s Capitol Wednesday, Minnesota’s Republican members of Congress ended up divided over whether to certify Arizona and Pennsylvania’s electors.

U.S. Reps. Jim Hagedorn and Michelle Fischbach objected to the certification, while Reps. Tom Emmer and Pete Stauber voted to accept them, as lawmakers worked deep into the night to approve the the Electoral College results showing Joe Biden won the presidential election.

By Thursday morning, 121 House Republicans had voted to decertify Arizona’s electors and 138 House Republicans voted to decertify Pennsylvania’s electors. Six senators objected to Arizona’s electors and seven to Pennsylvania’s.  Continue reading.

DFL Party Calls for Reps Hagedorn and Fischbach to be Expelled from Congress

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party called on the United States Congress to expel Representatives Jim Hagedorn and Michelle Fischbach for their oaths to support and defend the Constitution. DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin issued the following statement:

“Just three days after Representatives Hagedorn and Fischbach swore oaths to defend the United States Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic, they violated those oaths by lending aid and comfort to an insurrectionist mob through their votes to overturn the results of a free and fair American election. Today, I am calling on Congressional leaders to begin the formal process of expelling Representatives Hagedorn and Fischbach from the House of Representatives.

“Yesterday’s mob breached the United States Capitol with the explicit goal of halting the certification of the 2020 presidential election and thwarting American democracy. It is unthinkable that any sitting members of Congress would share these aims, especially after that mob laid siege to the Capitol, yet Representatives Hagedorn and Fischbach have done exactly that and must face severe repercussions for their actions.

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DFL Party Slams Congressman Hagedorn, Stauber, and Emmer for Flying Soon After COVID-19 Exposure

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, the DFL Party sharply criticized Republican Congressman Jim Hagedorn, Tom Emmer, and Pete Stauber for flying just two days after being exposed to COVID-19. 

“By flying so soon after being exposed to COVID-19, Congressmen Emmer, Hagedorn, and Stauber deliberately put the health and safety of their fellow passengers at serious risk,” said DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin. “As these Congressman know, medical experts have said that a negative test soon after exposure is nearly meaningless.”

“Millions of Americans have sacrificed so much to slow the spread of COVID-19, yet Congressmen Emmer, Stauber, and Hagedorn could not even wait a few days to board an airplane,” added Martin. “These Congressmen’s stupidity and disregard for the well-being of their fellow passengers is staggering.”

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Ethics Experts, DFL Party Blast Hagedorn Over Ethics Scandals

Hagedorn likely under investigation by House Ethics Committee

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Today, DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin was joined by several experts on ethics in government to criticize Congressman Jim Hagedorn’s clear mismanagement of his office budget and his breaking of House ethics rules. A video of the press conference can be found here.

What They Said:

“The corruption in Congressman Hagedorn’s office is staggering,” said DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin. “Hagedorn has used our tax dollars to prop up his failing campaign and lied about it, broken House ethics rules by using our tax dollars to line the pockets of one of his staff, and there are still so many unanswered questions.

“Jim Hagedorn owes it to the people of Minnesota to come clean, but he won’t,” added Martin. “Instead, Hagedorn has lied to us, tried to deflect blame, and hired a D.C. lawyer who represents crooked politicians. The plain truth is that Jim Hagedorn does not deserve our trust, he does not deserve our support, and he does not deserve to represent the great state of Minnesota in Congress.”

Amid Mounting Evidence of a Quid Pro Quo, DFL Calls on Republican Congressmen to Support Investigation

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – On October 22, Bill Taylor, an Army veteran and the top United States diplomat to Ukraine, testified before the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs, and Oversight committees that President Donald Trump withheld military aid to Ukraine in order to pressure their government into declaring they would investigate one of Trump’s domestic political opponents. This is the latest piece of evidence of a quid pro quo in which Donald Trump sought to exchange U.S. military aid for electoral support from the Ukranian government.

Late last month, the White House released a summary of Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Zelensky. In that call, Zelensky requested the military aid that Congress passed and Trump blocked, to which Trump responded “I would like you to do us a favor though…” Trump then asks Zelensky to investigate his political rivals in what many argue is an explicit quid pro quo arrangement. Two weeks ago, text message between top U.S. diplomats strongly corroborated the existence of that quid pro quo. Last week, acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney openly confessed to a quid pro quo before attempting to walk his comments back.

In response to the growing evidence of a quid pro quo, DFL Chairman Ken Martin released the following statement calling on Minnesota’s Republican Congressional Delegation to support the House investigation into Trump’s conduct: Continue reading “Amid Mounting Evidence of a Quid Pro Quo, DFL Calls on Republican Congressmen to Support Investigation”

Minnesota GOP Officials Silent on Contributions from Men Indicted for Conspiring to Funnel Foreign Money into U.S. Elections

Lewis, Stauber, Hagedorn, and Carnahan refuse to condemn foreign meddling in Minnesota elections

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Late last week, two associates of Rudy Giuliani, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, were arrested as they attempted to flee the United States. The two were charged with allegedly conspiring to funnel foreign money to Republican politicians and candidates for the purpose of buying influence in U.S. – Ukraine relations.

As the Pioneer Press reported, multiple Minnesota Republicans received money from Parnas and Fruman, including Jason Lewis, the Minnesota Republican Party, and the National Republican Congressional Committee, run by Tom Emmer.

While the NRCC and Republican officials in other states have returned the money they got from Parnas and Fruman, including Brian Mast, Kevin McCarthy, Joe Wilson, Brian Fitzpatrick, Lloyd Smucker, and John Katko, Jason Lewis and MN GOP Chair Jennifer Carnahan have thus far refused to return or donate the contributions. Continue reading “Minnesota GOP Officials Silent on Contributions from Men Indicted for Conspiring to Funnel Foreign Money into U.S. Elections”