State Rep. Ron Kresha, a seven-term member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, has announced that he will not seek reelection in 2026. This development comes amid an accusation that Kresha filed false PPP loan applications for his company.
The current co-chair of the House Education Finance Committee, Kresha was first elected to the Minnesota Legislature in 2012. He represents a geographically large district in northern Minnesota that includes Little Falls, Aitkin, and Mille Lacs Lake.
A Republican, Kresha consistently won reelection by comfortable margins until nearly losing his seat last year in a GOP primary that was decided by 35 votes.
In a statement first reported by the Morrison County Record, Kresha said, “Eight months ago, Wendy and I decided the time was right to step aside and direct our attention to family and a new grandchild. I am honored to have served for seven terms and have met some amazing people.”
The Republican lawmaker continued, saying, “Serving in the Minnesota House is life-changing and public service can be rewarding. But everything must run its course in life. My life has been blessed, and I will be using my talents in other charitable ways.”
However, Kresha has recently become the subject of scrutiny after a lawsuit was filed against Golden Shovel Agency, a communications company that was founded in part by the GOP lawmaker. Kresha serves as the organization’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
The lawsuit, which was filed by a private individual on behalf of the federal government, accuses Kresha of making false claims when he applied for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans on behalf of the company during the COVID-19 pandemic.
PPP loans were given out to small businesses by the federal government to help companies continue paying their employees during the pandemic.
Specifically, the lawsuit alleges that Kresha falsely reported that Golden Shovel had more than a dozen employees on two different applications for PPP funds. The lawsuit claims Golden Shovel received more than $300,000 in PPP loans that were later forgiven.
Since the suit was filed, State Rep. Elliott Engen, a Republican colleague of Kresha’s, has called for the House Fraud Committee to hold a hearing on the matter. Additionally, GOP State Rep. Drew Roach has called on Kresha to resign if the allegations are true.
Kresha has denied the allegations against him. He recently told Alpha News that the legal filing is “a smear campaign by opponents determined to damage” his reputation. Kresha also said the federal government “has chosen not to participate in the suit.”
“This baseless political stunt by grifters in our own party does nothing but sow division at a time when we should be united in building a more prosperous and free Minnesota,” he said. “I am disappointed that members of the Minnesota Legislature are unable to distinguish between false accusations and facts. I look forward to clearing my name as the facts come out.”
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
