Looking around at some of our favorite Republican social media in Greater Minnesota, we found this post on the Minnesota 7th Congressional District Republican Party.
Now, that party unit's social media isn't always that reputable itself, so we looked for confirmation. Sure enough, here's Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-Nisswa, himself:
A course at Daudt's Republican House Caucus confirms that's for real.
Where have we seen two of the three scams on the website's punch list before? Why, on our own Groundhog's Day post Dorr family expands brand: adds scaring abortion foes about GOP to gun rights stories.
Minnesota Scammers Exposed adds another item to the list: pro-Trump scams. Apparently MAGAsota & Trump Club of Minnesota are a problem:
MAGAsota. Make America Great Again Minnesota – sounds great, doesn’t it? These supporters of President Trump appear to be working on behalf of the President’s reelection bid but there’s just one problem: these scammers aren’t affiliated with the official campaign in any way, shape or form.
The MAGAsota folks are diverting valuable volunteer time to an effort that will have a marginal effect on the actual election. Remember, Minnesota has not voted for a Republican Presidential candidate since 1972 so it will take everyone “rowing the boat” in the same direction. The Trump campaign is working with the Republican National Committee (RNC), the Minnesota Republican Party, the National Republican Campaign Committee (NRCC) and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) in a coordinated effort to identify and turn out voters for President Trump and all Republican candidates on the ballot in 2020. There has never been a more robust effort in the state of Minnesota. Efforts like MAGAsota look good on the surface but without coordination with the real campaigns, ultimately result in a waste of valuable volunteer time.
A similar scam effort that looks like it’s helping President Trump in Minnesota is the Trump Club of Minnesota. The Trump Club is a Facebook page run by Ben Dorr and his “team.” Again, there is no official affiliation between this fake Facebook group and the Trump campaign in Minnesota or nationally. It is a scam using the popularity of the President to build a following that will ultimately send them money.
Anyone interested in helping re-elect President Trump should go to their official website.
We can see how that energy and money might be a problem for messaging and spending the campaign cash flowing into the coffers of the various Republican federal accounts.
MAGAsota is fighting back on its own Facebook page, calling the party's leadership Republicans In Name Only (RINOs):
[Update #2] A call to the number on the FEC led to a very brief but extremely pleasant conversation with Treasurer Bridget Kluesner, who said that Bluestem should talk to Michele Even, who heads the group (her address is on file at the FEC, along with her email.
Here's her video response to the official party stance of the group:
Readers may remember Even appearance in our post, | Anti-Muslim activists badger Rod Hamilton about Muslim Day at capitol and more during office visit . [end Update 2]
[Update] In the Action4Liberty post shared by MAGASota, Jake Duesenberg writes in MN Republicans Attack Pro-Trump Group MAGASOTA:
Senate Republican Majority Leader Paul Gazelka and House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt are attacking pro-Trump group MAGASOTA, calling them scammers on a website created yesterday. The website alleges that MAGASOTA is "diverting valuable volunteer time" and stating that the group is not affiliated with the official Trump re-election organization.
FEC filings show that MAGASOTA is registered as a Super PAC, which means there is a legal requirement to be independent from the official campaign. According to MAGASOTA, the purpose of the group is to win Minnesota for Trump by identifying and activating independent voters and disenfranchised conservative voters. Their assumption is that the Republican Party of Minnesota, who has failed to win a statewide election since 2006, will not be equipped to do what it takes to get new voters.
MAGASOTA also focuses only on Trump's re-election. Whereas, the Republican Party effort will piggyback off the Trump campaign to get all Republicans on the ticket, conservative and RINOs, elected in November. MAGASOTA thinks that strategy will turn off independent voters. . . .
Since the super PAC's Statement of Organization paperwork was filed on December 31, 2019, there are no financial reports filed yet. Bridget Kluesner of Owatonna is on record as the committee's treasurer.
We'll look more into the identity of Kluesner. [end update]
Apparently not everyone who brands themselves as a Republican has gotten the memo from the official party committees.
Lake Crystal House New Republican Jeremy Munson hosted a MAGASOTA event at a Pizza Ranch in Mankato on February 10:
We wrote about one MAGASota event this week in Silent too long? Front Row Joe feels sorry he's not able to be himself as a Trump supporter.
And Munson thanked MAGASota for that:
Are Minnesota Republicans coming close to being able to co-opt Will Rogers' axiom about not belonging to any organized political party? Stay tuned.
[Update #3] Back in August, MAGASota posted a slick Facebook video which asserted its grassroots nature over political party elites. The SuperPAC paperwork wasn't filed until the end of December, but the movement staked its claim months earlier:
Image: The banner from MAGASota's Facebook page.
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