Mankato Republican says she's not taking any contributions for her state senate campaign

On Monday, City Pages' Hannah Jones reported Mankato Republican says 'the Devil' is attacking her campaign, a look mostly at posts from Elizabeth Bangert's Minnesota Citizen Lobbyist Facebook page, rather than her campaign Facebook page.

As the sort of folks who like to follow the money, we found some of the material on the campaign Facebook page more fascinating than the Lobbyist video rants.

Take, for instance, Bangert's decision to not take any contributions (and thus not give contributors the chance to participate in the political contribution refund program), to decline the public subsidy, and indeed, not register a committee with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board.

There's an affidavit only listing of her candidacy in the Board's online database of candidates for Senate District 19.

It's perfectly legal, according to page 5 of the Board's Legislative and Constitutional Candidate Handbook:

Do I need to form a campaign committee?

A candidate does not need to form a campaign committee if

the candidate will spend only the candidate’s own money on the campaign, or

the candidate will not accept contributions totaling more than $750 from other people.

If the candidate is going to receive more than $750 from supporters to get elected or wants to receive public money, the candidate must form a campaign committee.

Minnesota readers can think what they wish about her crackpot ideas, but may also rest assured that her crusade isn't being subvented by taxpayers. She may be cray, but she's paying for it on her own dime.

Here's Bangert's campaign Facebook page video on Campaign Finance, from early June. She explains her strategy as only she can. Supporters are urged to make their own yard signs and the like, which may explain why Jones discovered "She doesn’t appear to have an official campaign website, per se, but does have a few social media pages."

We're asking the Board whether Independent expenditure funds can spend for or against her candidacy. It's not clear from the Handbook for such funds what the situation is. We wouldn't want the MN Jobs Coalition or Advance Minnesota, for example, to spend any of that hard-earned cash for her candidacy if that were naughty.  Against or for incumbent DFL senator Nick Frentz's committee seems perfectly a-okay.

UPDATE: In an email, we received this response to our question about IE fund spending for/against unregistered candidates:

Yes, independent expenditure funds and committees can support or oppose any candidate, even if not registered with the Board.

Regards,

Jeff Sigurdson

Executive Director

Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board

We first reported about Bangert's campaign in February's post Minnesota Citizen Lobbyist Elizabeth Bangert announces bid for Senate District 19.

My, how time flies in a pandemic.

Photo: Bangert at the Minnesota Capitol. Via Mankato Free Press.

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Comments

[Kathi malone]

I’ve been following this woman and find her comments scary. She’s a day care owner and her comments on mask wearing and vaccinations are questionable. Also political and religious rants are off the wall,.