Failed burrito baron and party boss Tony Sutton stiffs counties, looks to MNGOP to stuff tortilla

Yesterday, the Minnesota Progressive Project wrote that failed burrito baron Tony Sutton's Republican Party hadn't paid its bill to Olmsted County. Today, the Mankato Free Press reports that it's also still in hock to Nicollet County.

In Nicollet County to GOP: pay your bill, Southern Minnesota readers learn about the use of ALL CAPS to plead for an overdue bill:

After five attempts to get the Republican Party of Minnesota to pay its outstanding bill, Nicollet County Auditor Bridgette Kennedy resorted to capital letters and a threat on the latest invoice she mailed last week.

“FINAL BILL,” the invoice for more than $1,300 warned. “IF PAYMENT IS NOT RECEIVED, THIS BILL WILL BE TURNED OVER TO THE NICOLLET COUNTY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE.”

The bill is for labor and copying costs related to more than 3,000 pages of election-related documents demanded by the party in the wake of the narrow victory by Democrat Mark Dayton over Republican Tom Emmer on Nov. 2. The party put out similar requests to the rest of Minnesota’s 87 counties and many of those are also waiting to be paid five months later.

And what does Sutton say to this?

Republican Party Chairman Tony Sutton said Wednesday that the party is working steadily toward getting the bills paid and that all counties will eventually be reimbursed.

“ The hold-up is we don’t have the money, and we’ve been paying them off as we get the money,” Sutton said. “Everybody will get paid.”

Sutton, who said the party is about halfway through the list of unpaid counties, glanced at the list and noted recent or impending checks for Sibley and Martin counties.

“I don’t even see Nicollet on the list here,” Sutton said. “Hold on, that means we haven’t gotten any kind of invoice from them.”

Moments later, he said he’d need to check with the party’s finance director to verify why the county wasn’t listed. And he said, again, that all counties will be paid.

“I appreciate their patience and understanding,” Sutton said.

This is fascinating stuff, since the Star Tribune reports that Sutton is looking to get himself paid if he is re-elected as party boss. In Did state GOP chief offer to jump fence on gaming?, readers discovered:

Sutton, who has not been paid as party chairman for the past two years, said he may seek compensation if he wins reelection as expected this week.

"I've gotten a lot of encouragement from activists and donors," Sutton said. "They think I'm crazy that I've been doing it full time with no compensation."

If the party job comes with a paycheck, Sutton said, he may let his wife take control of Winning Strategies.

"I may have to mothball or maybe it's something Bridget can do, I don't know." Sutton said. "I'm really debating what do I do. I only have so many hours in the day to work. And right now I spend probably 95 percent of my time on the party. So from a practical matter, that's where I'm spending my time."

Goodness gracious. Seems like his wife is looking for work as well:

Lethert and Bridget Sutton exchanged e-mails earlier this year. In one of the e-mails, which were reviewed by the Star Tribune, she discussed the family's need to "replace lost income." In another she asked Lethert to help her find a job.

Tony Sutton did not dispute the authenticity of the e-mails, which were supplied by Lethert and which do not address the alleged racino proposal.

It must be tough, losing a business partnership like the one they had with TCF executive Bill Cooper.

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