While the small-i independent candidate in the Minnesota House District 3A special election Kelsey Johnson claims that she's worked on both parties' campaign her record of itemized contributions reveals that DFL candidates and caucuses have received the lion's share of her check writing.
A search of the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board's database of campaign contributions of $100 or more by individuals and lobbyists to committees revealed that over half of the contributions by Johnson went to the DFL Senate Caucus, individual DFL senators, or the Senate District 3 DFL.
Committees reported contributions from "Johnson, Kelsey," "Johnson Kelsey AL" and "Johnson, Kelsey Amalie Larson" to the CFPDB. Only contributions which add up to $100 or more each year need be disclosed. Bluestem searched for all contributions made between 2004-2014, all the years that are available in the database.
Of the $2,250 total, only $600 went to Republican committees, while Minnesotans United for All Families' successful and nonpartisan effort to defeat the amendment to restrict the freedom to marry to heterosexual couples received $300.
Johnson gave a total of $750 in five contributions to the DFL Senate Caucus, $350 in two contributions to Kurt Daudt's campaign (in 2013), $300 in four checks to Minnesotans United for All Families for its 2012 defeat of the Marriage Amendment, $250 in one contribution to the HRCC in 2014, $250 in one contribution to the Senate District 3 DFL, $200 in one contribution to Duluth DFL state senator Roger Reinert and $150 in two contributions to Kerrick DFL state senator Tony Lourey.
Any contributions under $100 need not be disclosed by committees, so it's possible that the lobbyist could have greased a few more palms under the wire.
On the national level, a search of the Federal Election Commission contribution database, which has a higher reporting threshold, yields the news that Johnson gave $500 to the federal committee of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party-- one contribution of $250 in 2013 and another $250 in 2014.
While Johnson touts herself as a "contributor to the NRA" on her website's "About Page," her contributions either were not made to the NRA Political Victory Fund or were less than $200 in any given year, as no contribution showed up under her name in the FEC database or in the filings for the NRA Political Victory Fund. Before joining the staff of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, Johnson served as a registered lobbyist in Minnesota for Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund (fka Mayors Against Illegal Guns Act. Fd), a gun-control group established by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg that's frequently positioned in the press as an opponent of the NRA.
Johnson told Mike Mullen at Politics in Minnesota's Capitol Report:
The other Johnson in the race, Kelsey, said her registration as an independent is in keeping with her political history. Kelsey Johnson declined to give specific names or years, but said she has worked on campaigns for both GOP and DFL candidates.
We reported in How independent is Kelsey Johnson? History reveals ties with Bakk's leadership allies, that Johnson served as suburban metro DFL Senator Terri Bonoff's campaign manager in 2012, according to a bio once posted on a former employer's website. Perhaps it all depends on what "working" on a campaign means.
Here's the list we pulled from the database. For the sake of formatting, we've edited out Johnson's employers and clients.
Individual Johnson, Kelsey 08-31-2011 DFL Senate Caucus $250.00
Individual Johnson, Kelsey 01-20-2012 Minnesotans United for All Families $50.00
Individual Johnson, Kelsey 09-24-2012 Minnesotans United for All Families $100.00
Individual Johnson, Kelsey 09-25-2012 Minnesotans United for All Families $50.00
Individual Johnson, Kelsey 09-30-2012 Minnesotans United for All Families $100.00
Lobbyist Johnson, Kelsey 01-20-2012 DFL Senate Caucus $50.00
Lobbyist Johnson, Kelsey 12-11-2012 DFL Senate Caucus $100.00
Lobbyist Johnson, Kelsey A L 01-23-2012 Lourey, Anthony SD11 $50.00
Lobbyist Johnson, Kelsey A L 07-17-2012 Lourey, Anthony SD11 $100.00
Lobbyist Johnson, Kelsey A L 08-08-2012 Reinert, Roger SD7 $200.00
Lobbyist Johnson, Kelsey A L 06-03-2013 Daudt, Kurt HD31A $300.00
Lobbyist Johnson, Kelsey A L 09-19-2013 Daudt, Kurt HD31A $ 50.00
Lobbyist Johnson, Kelsey A L 02-24-2014 HRCC $250.00
Lobbyist Johnson, Kelsey A L 07-22-2014 3rd Senate District DFL $250.00
Lobbyist Johnson, Kelsey Amalie Larson 02-24-2014 DFL Senate Caucus $250.00
Lobbyist Johnson, Kelsey Amalie Larson 11-20-2014 DFL Senate Caucus $100.00
Readers can drawn their own conclusions as to when Johnson developed her self-touted independence and rejection of the parties to whom she contributes money.
See our earlier posts on the race:
Iron (Range) Throne: Details emerge on SD3 DFL chair's cancellation of endorsing convention
Go Fish: SD DFL chair changes mind on 3A endorsing convention; Bill Hansen responds
How independent is Kelsey Johnson? History reveals ties with Bakk's leadership allies
Photo: According to a bio of Johnson once posted on Hill Capitol Strategies' website, lobbyist Kelsey Johnson (left) served as DFL State Senator Terri Bonoff's campaign manager. A press release from the Grocery Association noted "In 2012, [Johnson] effectively managed a state senate campaign that was not favored to win but ultimately did; other sources were not as certain of Bonoff's potential defeat. Photo via Minneapolis Junior League Facebook page.
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