In September, Tim Pugmire reported in GOP lawmaker presses for answers about Democrat's U of M job:
A Republican state lawmaker is calling for House DFL leaders to take action against one of their freshmen members after questions were raised about the lawmaker’s recent outside employment.
Rep. Chris Swedzinski, R-Ghent, contends that Rep. Jamie Long, DFL-Minneapolis, received preferential treatment when he was hired for a policy research fellowship at the University of Minnesota Institute’s Environment Energy Transition Lab to work on clean energy and climate change issues.
Former DFL state Sen. Ellen Anderson made the hire. Anderson could not be reached for comment.
Swedzinski called on House Speaker Melissa Hortman to suspend Long from his positions as assistant majority leader and vice chair of the House Energy and Climate Division while the matter is investigated.
He said emails he obtained through a public records request raise many questions about the hiring process.
“It seems like from the emails that Rep. Long was the intended person for this money long before the position was created,” he said.
Long, who has since resigned the post, was earning about $34 per hour. . . .
As the report below notes, the fellowship was funded by a grant by the McKnight Foundation. It was returned. Read the details in the embedded report below.
Long's short-lived fellowship was mentioned when Minnesota House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, took a government affairs position. One example, Fox 9's Theo Keith's GOP lawmaker’s new job renews calls for tougher disclosure rules.
A statement from Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, accompanied the report:
On September 20, Speaker Hortman directed House Research to retain an outside investigator to review, on behalf of the House, questions raised by Rep. Swedzinski and Rep. Daudt about Rep. Jamie Long’s employment at the University of Minnesota’s Energy Transition Lab. The House retained Amy Schwartz of the law firm Ballard Spahr for this purpose. The investigation has been completed and found no wrongdoing on the part of Rep. Long.
House Speaker Melissa Hortman released the following statement:
"The report we received from a neutral third party completely exonerates Representative Long from all allegations of impropriety made by Representatives Swedzinski and Daudt."
Here's the report:
2019-12-30 Report of Investigation of Jamie Long uploaded by Sally Jo Sorensen on Scribd
Photo: Jamie Long. Via his campaign website.
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