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.