MN GOP debt: "There is some ugly stuff in here."

Posted at 11:55 AM on December 30, 2011 by Paul Tosto
Filed under: Politics

MPR News reporter Tom Scheck writes:

The Republican Party of Minnesota is heading into 2012 facing a debt of nearly $2 million, although they say they're contesting more than $700 thousand in legal bills that make up part of that total.

Party leaders released an internal financial review today that shows the debt is much worse than previously reported. It includes $415 thousand in payments from the last three years that had not been reported and a $120 thousand fine from the Federal Election Commission. Republican National Committeeman Jeff Johnson says party officials wanted to get the full story out.

"The debt number is honestly higher than anyone wants it to be," Johnson said. "There is some ugly stuff in here. And Kelly (acting GOP chairwoman Kelly Fenton) and Mike (Mike Vekich, leader of the GOP financial review) both agreed strongly with this that we decided we were going to disclose everything that we owed, ugly or not ugly."

Former party chair Tony Sutton abruptly resigned last month. Republican Party members meet tomorrow to discuss the party's finances and to elect a new chair.

Click on the play button below to listen to the Republicans' press conference.

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