On May 7, 2019, Congressman Jim Hagedorn hosted a small business roundtable for Small Business Week. A couple of days later on Facebook, he shared the message and photo in the screenshot at the top of this post. Here's what he wrote:
Gary Steuart of Steuart Laboratories, Mabel -Always happy to learn more about the amazing small businesses of southern Minnesota like Gary’s organic manufacturing business from Mabel!
Based on what the men are wearing, the photo is from the day of the roundtable (see photo here).
We are deeply surprised that the congressman could learn much more about "Gary’s organic manufacturing business from Mabel!" since according to Hagedorn's 2013 financial disclosure statement, (page 4), Hagedorn was a "retail propriator [sic], minority owner" of Steuart Laboratories.
Moreover, on page 5 of the disclosure statement, Hagedorn noted an agreement with Steuart Laboratories: "Resigned Position; compensation and future payments conditional upon transfer and sale of internet site assets."
There's no mention of those compensation and future payments in subsequent disclosure filings.
Clearly, Hagedorn knew something about this business before Small Business Week 2019. He might have mentioned that to his Facebook friends.
But there's more! Mr. Gary Steuart contributed quite a bit of cash to Representative Hagedorn's campaigns over the years before. Between 2009 and 2018, Steuart made 29 contributions to the Friends of Hagedorn campaign committee, according to the campaign finance database at the Federal Elections Commission. For us, that added up to $11,650. For the 2018 DCCC online Research Report staffers, the total came to $9,900.00, but the research was concluded by March 2018.
There's more in the database for this cycle: 15 contributions for a total of $4,100.
And there's more! Steuart is the chair of the Fillmore County Republicans.
The DCCC's online research book also includes this item:
Was there an ethical or legal violation to include a former business associate, Republican Party BPOU/county officer and generous campaign contributor in that Small Business Week event? We couldn't find that information.
Rather, we think this episode illustrates a culture of cronyism in Jim Hagedorn's world that favors friends, relatives and business associates over ethical and legal boundaries.
Last week, Trey Mewes at the Mankato Free Press reported in Hagedorn, DJ deal could draw FCC inquiry:
KTOE DJ Al Travis Thielfoldt and Congressman Jim Hagedorn face further questions about the nature of their working relationship as documents raise questions over whether Hagedorn’s campaign paid Thielfoldt for radio interviews, which experts say could trigger a Federal Communications Commission inquiry.
The Free Press recently obtained a series of invoices written by Thielfoldt in his work as a paid advertising consultant to the campaign covering September 2019 and the first five months of 2020. In those monthly invoices, Thielfoldt lists dates of interviews he or others conducted with Hagedorn on KTOE as well as interview blocks of time.
Those interviews featured Hagedorn talking with Thielfoldt on a variety of issues, from football to the weather to COVID-19, rather than a straight news segment. Thielfoldt, an afternoon talk show host on KTOE, lists 10 interviews with Hagedorn from Jan. 6 to May 18 in the 2020 invoices reviewed by The Free Press. . . .
And there's the series of Minnesota Reformer articles by Daniel Newhauser, detailing various lapses.
And that Politico article, The mystery of a GOP congressman's seemingly rent-free campaign office.
In related news, Minnesota Public Radio's David Montgomery reported in Campaign cash piles up in final stretch:
Minnesota’s congressional candidates have millions of dollars to spend in the campaign’s final weeks — though some candidates have more money on hand than others. . .
In the battle for Congress, Democrats have the money edge in the state’s three most competitive districts. As of Sept. 30, 1st District Democratic candidate Dan Feehan had nearly five times the war chest of incumbent Rep. Jim Hagedorn. Feehan raised three times as much money as Hagedorn in the last quarter, and outspent him nearly two-to-one.
Jeepers.
Related posts:
- It's Friday, so time for another Hagedorn scandal: the tale of the vanishing free campaign office
- MNReformer update: After Hagedorn payment revelations, Al Travis off KTOE until after election
- MN01 race news digest: Feehan and Hagedorn spar; do Hagedorn's accusations hold water?
- This week in Jim Hagedorn: a MN01 news digest
- Jim Hagedorn news digest: Rochester Bulletin, Mankato Free Press, MN Reformer and more!
- More MN Reformer: Expect an ethics complaint against Jim Hagedorn, DFL Chair Martin says
- But his emails! Strib reports Hagedorn personally involved in decisions about publicly funded mail
- Hagedorn aide at center of sketchy spending posts conspiratorial, homophobic social media
- The plot thickens in the Fighting First: Jim Hagedorn hires legal help for spending scandal
- Minnesota Reformer: MN01's Hagedorn spent tax dollars on vendor owned by a member of his staff
- MN01 data points: Does Hagedorn's internal polling conducted in March still matter?
- Hyperbole, much? Hagedorn's revelation about November 2020 is galloping nincompoopery
- Coals of criticism heaping on Jim Hagedorn; UnitedHealth Group says no more cash for you
- Rightwing values and performance art in MN-01: Mr. Quist and "Mr. Conservative" (2009)
- Republican Party of MN reports self-employed James, Hagedorn lives in St. Louis Park
- RPM, Friends of Hagedorn confuse state & federal campaign finance reports in answering PB question about Hagedorn's residence
- MN01: Meet a Hagedorn Washington legislative assistant working on agriculture issues
- MN01: the hostile world of Hagedorn town halls, updated with videos of Mankato area meetings
- Nazi namecalling: two Southern MN Republicans lose their wits about Warren, insulin critics
- MN01: Hagedorn echoes colleague's remark about kids being free to leave detention centers
- Congressman Hagedorn's campaign emails share only the finest COVID-19 news sources
- MN Reformer: The Hagedorn rule: Watchdogs say congressional family deals need oversight
Screenshot: Hagedorn used Small Business Week to learn about a business of which he was once a minority owner.
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