The chair of a local DFL unit has been fined $200 after admitting to using a fake name and incorrect address when attending a Republican fundraiser earlier this year.
The Republican Party of Minnesota previously filed a campaign finance complaint against Barbara Crow, the chair of a local DFL Party unit in St. Louis County, who later admitted to using a false name, mailing address, email address, and phone number when attending a Jan. 6 fundraiser hosted by the local Republican Party.
According to the complaint, Crow used the mailbox address of the Cook County DFL and a phone number that belonged to a Wisconsin artist to sign up for the Republican fundraiser. After donating $100 under the name “Susan Johnson,” Crow attended the event, checked in with event organizers as Susan Johnson, wore a name tag identifying herself as Susan Johnson, and mingled with Republicans at the event.
The Minnesota Campaign Finance Board said in a conciliation agreement dated May 1 that all parties involved agreed Crow violated state law. Specifically, state law provides that anyone who “attempts to circumvent this chapter by redirecting a contribution through, or making a contribution on behalf of, another individual or association is guilty of a gross misdemeanor and subject to a civil penalty imposed by the board of up to $3,000.”
However, the board fined Crow just $200, which it said was based on the fact that this was Crow’s first violation of the statute in question, she was remorseful, and “she is unlikely to commit a similar violation in the future.”
According to the agreement, Crow admitted to the allegations but said she was just “buying a ticket to an event” and didn’t think of her actions as a violation of campaign finance law.
“I humbly apologize to the Board for this violation. If the organizers had not caught my subterfuge, this could have been much worse, and for that, I’m grateful,” Crow said, according to the agreement. She told the board she used false information to attend the event because she was concerned about her “personal safety.”
At the time of the incident, Republican Party of Minnesota Deputy Chair Donna Bergstrom described Crow’s actions as “unethical and deceptive” and called on the DFL to remove Crow from her position in the party.
“[House District] 3B Republicans could not be more disappointed in Crow’s illegal and deceptive leadership,” she added.
Crow is still listed as the chair of the St. Louis County DFL in Senate District 3.
“The St. Louis County DFL chose to keep her as the chair. You will see Barbara out door knocking for Mark Munger in HD3B,” House District 3B Republicans said in a social media post Monday. “She was manning the DFL booth at the Proctor fair. Ethics are of no importance to the St Louis County Democrats.”
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.
