The Minnesota Board of Medical Practice has dismissed two anonymous complaints filed against Sen. Scott Jensen (R-Chaska) over his comments on the coronavirus pandemic.
Jensen, a practicing physician, faced backlash in April when he said that a CDC guidance granted doctors the authority to include “suspected or likely” cases of COVID-19 on death certificates.
Jensen said the document, which was sent to him by the Minnesota Department of Health, suggested that he could include a diagnosis of COVID-19 on death certificates even if there were no official lab results confirming the diagnosis.
The Republican senator, rumored to be considering a 2022 gubernatorial run, spoke out about the complaints against him earlier this month.
“This is one of the most important videos I’ve made and one of the hardest,” Jensen said in a July 7 video posted to Facebook. “Less than a week ago, I was notified by the Board of Medical Practice in Minnesota that I was being investigated because of public statements I had made.”
He said the Board of Medical Practice was investigating two allegations against him, including the spread of misinformation and providing Minnesotans with reckless advice by comparing COVID-19 to the flu.
The Board, however, completed its investigation Monday and dismissed the allegations.
“We are all entitled to our own reasoning. In a nation built on free speech, this right must be protected. But instead, today we are seeing an unprecedented intolerance for contrarian viewpoints,” Jensen said in a statement.
He noted that he was forced to respond to allegations from anonymous accusers whom he could not face.
“These people threatened to uproot my practice, my profession, and my life. But cancel culture didn’t win this time. I chose to stay in the fight, to remain vocal, and to dedicate my time to continue to spread truth rather than allow fear-mongering to run amok,” he continued. “It was not easy, but the circumstances which propelled me to respond to unfair allegations were the same ones which necessitated my speaking out. A worldwide transparent dialogue was never something I imagined, but I believe it was healthy.”
Jensen said the kind notes and messages from his supporters sustained him and his family “through this time of uncertainty.”
“This personal and painful journey provided a reminder for me that we must have the discipline to overcome groupthink by believing in ourselves,” he concluded. “I am a family doc in the trenches, and I have always used my license to care for people. I am blessed to live out my calling every day and now, I am more thankful than ever to return to work tomorrow and greet my patients with this weight lifted.”
Jensen has been a family doctor for almost 40 years and was named the Minnesota Family Physician of the Year in 2016.
Anthony Gockowski
Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News. He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform, and wrote for the Daily Caller.
