Over the decades, MPR has presented the many different perspectives of Minnesota politics and politicians. This collection is home to a multitude speeches, interviews and debates on the issues of the day. Important topics of civil rights, environment, crime, budget, legislation, and campaigns are addressed.
Click on link to these well-known figures to see audio segments directly related to them: Michele Bachmann Arne Carlson Keith Ellison Hubert Humphrey Amy Klobuchar Eugene McCarthy Walter Mondale Tim Pawlenty R.T. Rybak Jesse Ventura Paul Wellstone
July 14, 2003 - Minnesota's governor, auditor and other prominent Republicans are being tied to a Minneapolis-based telephone company accused of cheating consumers in Wisconsin and six other states. The St. Paul Pioneer Press says Governor Pawlenty was a director and an investor in NewTel Holdings when its New Access Communications subsidiary was accused of overcharging some customers and tricking others into switching phone services. New Access has paid 222-thousand dollars to settle charges that it violated consumer protection laws in Washington, Oregon and Indiana. The company also faces complaints in North Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Montana and is being investigated by the Minnesota attorney general's office. Pawlenty says he wasn't invloved in the day to day operations of New Access and was not aware of the complaints against of the company. State Auditor Pat Awada and Pawlenty's campaign manager Tim Commers also have connections to NewTel Holdings. DFLer Steve Kelley is the chair of the telecommunications subcommittee of the Senate Commerce and Utilities Committee. He expects that the Legislature will be investigating the charges.
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July 15, 2003 -
July 16, 2003 - Governor Tim Pawlenty has acknowledged deeper ties to a Republican businessman who oversaw several telecommunications firms -- one of which has been charged with defrauding customers in at least seven states. Pawlenty made his comments during a two-hour press conference yesterday (TUESDAY) that was meant to clarify Pawlenty's role in the controversy, which he maintains was minimal. At the same time, House Democrats say the governor's voting record as a state representative favored phone companies over consumers. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo has more.
July 17, 2003 - A spokesman for Governor Tim Pawlenty says the governor would be willing to amend a compaign disclosure report to reflect payments he recieved from a telephone company partially owned by his longtime friend and Republican activist Elam Baer. Pawlenty revealed the payments this week, but said they were made to a corporation he formed, and that he believes they didn't need to be reported as income. But some campaign finance reform advocates say Pawlenty was taking advantage of a loophole in the law, and that candidates should be required to reveal much more about their outside income. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports...
July 18, 2003 - Governor Tim Pawlenty today (FRIDAY) sought to defuse some of the criticisms directed at his business history. On his weekly radio program and during a Minneapolis speech, the governor deflected questions about his ties to a telecommunications firm that's been penalized in three states. But Pawlenty's political opponents says the governor's answers outline a pattern of playing loose with the rules. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.
July 21, 2003 - New Access Communications has drawn customer complaints from Minnesotans similar to complaints in other states which led to regulatory fines. Governor Tim Pawlenty had connections to the Minneapolis-based telephone company while he served in the Legislature. New Access officials say the vast majority of their customers are satisfied despite consumer protection settlements in three states and an ongoing investigation in Minnesota by Attorney General Mike Hatch. But critics say New Access misled customers about pricing and... in some cases... took over people's telephone service without their permission, a process called "slamming." Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports.
July 22, 2003 - Governor Tim Pawlenty has filed a new statement of economic interest with the state Campaign Finance board. He's also registered a now-defunct consulting business with the state's legal practices board. The new filings came yesterday and are an attempt to dispel controversies surrounding his use BAMCO, his one-man consulting business, to accept payments from a pay-phone company. Former governor Arne Carlson is a fellow republican who believes the issue is far from settled. He says Pawlenty is likely to face tough questions when a legislative committee begins to look at the issue next month.
July 25, 2003 - Governor Tim Pawlenty's relationship to a pay phone company may get a closer look from the state's top campaign finance officials. The chairman of the Minnesota DFL party today filed a complaint against Pawlenty with the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board. The complaint says Pawlenty may have knowingly falsified campaign finance information in order to hide his income from New Access Communications. Pawlenty has said he made an honest filing mistake, and there was nothing shady about his work for New Access. Minnesota Public Radio's Jeff Horwich reports.
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