Reading around Minnesota's conservative social media eco-system Friday morning, we came across a fundraising post on his campaign Facebook page by Prinsburg New Republican Tim Miller (screengrab at top). He's campaigning on truth:
Tonight my campaign will close the books on this fundraising quarter. I need your help to reach our goal. As of right now, we're still just over $3,000 short of what we need to be on track to hold this seat in November.
Can I count your support before MIDNIGHT tonight? Please consider chipping in: https://bit.ly/3jBHJHt
Minnesota has encountered a year like we have not seen in decades. The COVID-19 lockdown, the burning of Minneapolis, the toppling of Christopher Columbus, and the complete lawlessness that has ensued throughout our state has shaken our foundation as who we are as a people.
Throughout this time I have urged people to seek truth in all things. . . .
We're curious what he means by "the complete lawlessness that has ensued throughout our state" as that hyperbole seems to undercut the conservative talking points about The Evil Metro versus the pastoral paradise of Greater Minnesota. We haven't heard from any friends about "complete lawlessness" in Big Stone or Fillmore County, but perhaps Representative Miller is hip to insider information.
But we're just as concerned about Representative Miller's understanding of the calendar, both the regular one cats and dogs understand, the state's fiscal year, and the 2020 Disclosure Calendar for Candidates for Senate, House ,and District Courts by the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board.
At the bottom of the post, there's this portal to a contribution page:
We're puzzled about July 23 being the deadline for a quarterly report. In that ordinary calendar, quarterly reports generally account for periods of three months; the second quarter closed with the end of June.
According to Minnesota Management and Budget, "A fiscal year (FY) begins on July 1 and ends on June 30 of the following year and is designated by the year in which it ends . . . " Nope, no quarters closing on July 23.
The closest deadline on the 2020 Disclosure Calendar for Candidates for Senate, House ,and District Courts was July 20, "Last day of transactions included in the pre-primary report of receipts and expenditures." That pre-primary report is due on July 27, and will be made public by the Board shortly after.
Any contributions made on July 23? We'll have to wait for the pre-general report in October to learn about those, as none seemed to have been large enough to have triggered the large contribution threshold at the time we write.
As Barbie once said, math is hard--and so are deadlines.
This isn't the first time fundraising has been hard for the Miller campaign. In 2016, we reported Beet coop PAC pours sugar on Renville Co RPM; Renville Co RPM sweetens Tim Miller committee and Did Renville County RPM have money to cover a $4500 check to Miller's committee on 7/17/2016?. The issue prompted a complaint that lead to "findings" by the Board that can be read here.
A 2018 event which made Ilhan Omar focus of Minnesota state house candidate fundraiser on the lone prairie was also moved around a bit from a winery to a veterans' hall to a public park, as we reported in Montevideo American Legion withdraws use of hall for controversial Tim Miller fundraiser.
One potential DFL opponent, DFL-endorsed Benjamin Dolan was doing some fundraising of this own on Thursday, but it appears to be related his campaign's own July goals, rather than this Truthy Quarter:
Screengrabs: From Facebook.
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