Bill Walsh, director of public affairs for the Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus made a public information request for the Cook County Board of Commissioners to turn over all emails, text messages, and other social media content that pertained to Commissioner Frank Moe’s resolution regarding copper nickel mining introduced at the board’s April 12 meeting.
Walsh submitted his request to County Attorney Molly Hicken on Monday, April 18.
While the resolution supporting Governor Mark Dayton’s announcement of opposition to any mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) failed to pass, it generated a lot of public interest. Five people spoke in favor of it and five spoke against it at the public comment period held at the April 12 meeting.
One of those speakers, Bluefin Bay Resort owner Dennis Rysdahl, said that he had received an e-mail from Senator Tom Bakk that indicated that if the resolution passed it could harm the county’s relationship with the senator.
“This will damage our relationship with Senator Bakk in ways that really will matter,” said Rysdahl.
In his comments to the board, Rysdahl mentioned several pieces of legislation that Senator Bakk had drafted that aided the county, and added that while he was personally against the copper-nickel mining project proposed for the Iron Range that will be located near the BWCAW boundaries, he did not feel the county board’s resolution would have any real impact on the decision to allow or disallow the mine from being developed.
When reached by phone on Wednesday, April 20, Walsh said the public information request was “very limited and very focused on the resolution,” and nothing else.
After reading Rysdahl’s comments in the newspaper, a decision was made to send the request to Cook County commissioners to look at their emails and other public data— even if it was deleted—regarding this matter. Hicken told commissioners that if they had deleted material pertaining to the resolution to make sure to mention it, because it could be recaptured and examined.
County Board Chair Heidi Doo- Kirk said she turned over her electronic data to Hicken. “I think it amounted to three things. In all of my interactions with Senator Bakk I have never been threatened about anything. The only time he gets tough with me is when he says, ‘Heidi, you need to raise your taxes,’ that’s it.”
Commissioner Garry Gamble said he had also turned over his information to Hicken. He said he had received no pressure from any legislators over Commissioner Moe’s resolution.
“The public shouldn’t work under threat,” said Walsh. “When we hear that people are worried their funding is going to get cut off or that they are going to be removed from the Taconite Tax Relief Area, that concerns us. That’s why we want to see if any of those threats were sent to the county commissioners.
“This really isn’t so much of what is going on in Cook County. We are just looking out for the integrity of the Senate and making sure they aren’t abusing their power.”
Just what will happen if any threats are uncovered is unknown at this time, said Walsh.
“That’s up to the senators. Last year we did have an ethics complaint about a senator that was accused of threatening the Minneapolis school district with cutting off their funding. It didn’t go anywhere because there wasn’t enough proof. We just need to make sure no senator is abusing his power.”
Hicken promised the public information request would be completed and sent to Walsh sometime next week.
“That’s pretty good. They are being great about getting this done,” said Walsh.
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