Lost in the gnashing of teeth over the voluntary departure from the state legislature of younger legislators like Senator Branden Petersen (R-Andover)?
Petersen's committees have a history of late filing fees and civil penalties for late filings by his campaign committees as a state house and senate candidate. Branden (Petersen) for Senate has yet to file a year-end report for 2014, accruing a $1000 fine.
With the latest fines, Petersen's state house and senate committees have paid a combined in late filing fees (LFF) and civil penalties (CP) since 2010.
According to the director of the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board Gary Goldsmith, Petersen's committee could face referral to the Minnesota Attorney General's office for additional action if the report isn't filed.
In an email accompanying the document, Goldsmith noted late filing fees for pre-election reports accrue at the rate of $50 per day and year-end reports accrue late filing fees at the rate of $25 per day. The first item on the list--a $20 LFF--is an economic interest statement filed four days late; the last item ($2000) is a civil penalty for an excess contribution violation.
Here's the record of violations sent to us by the board:
History of Violations for Branden (Petersen) for Senate - 17375
Including fines for earlier tardy filings, the committee has been fined a total of $3870.
After receiving this file, Bluestem was curious whether Petersen's state representative committee had also been slow in filing. The board sent us this record of violations, totaling $2800:
Branden Petersen for State House 2010
Perhaps it speaks to the libertarian-inclined Petersen's personal charm that this history has been overlooked, while similar infractions on the part of his state senate colleagues Sean Nienow (state filing) and Julianne Ortman (U.S. Senate campaign) have received more public scorn.
Photo: Senator Branden Petersen, who is retiring from the state legislature.
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