Winter takes big Trial Lawyer Money from past State outside lawyers
1st Congressional District Chair Steve Perkins demanded that Ted Winter return at least $3,550 that he received from the Minneapolis Cireci trial lawyers. Perkins said, “I call on Ted Winter to immediately return this money. These lawyers netted a $558,000,000 State contract when Ted Winter was the House DFL Majority Leader to handle the Minnesota tobacco law suit. It was of record proportions, over half a billion dollars, and now they turn up as the biggest donors to Winter’s campaign.”
Perkins continued, “ It also appears Winter was trying to cover this up because critical information on these contributions was deleted from his original filing with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Disclosure Board last Monday. Finally, today, Friday, just a few days before the election Ted coughed up the information after the Board demanded it. “
“It is obvious what Winter was trying to hide. Of the thousands and thousands he is spending only eight percent of his disclosed donors are residents of the district. Forty-two percent comes from trial lawyers and 24% from Twin City unions. Just who will Ted Winter represent when he gets to St. Paul? His political cronies get near billion dollar state contracts and then pay him off with fat campaign donations.”
Perkins concluded, “It simply is not right to take such huge sums from non-local people who get huge government contracts. Ted Winter must return the money and apologize to the people of House District 22A. This is an outrageous last minute trick which only deceives those he wants to represent.”
House District 22A is all of Murray, Pipestone, Rock and Nobles counties, except the immediate Worthington area. Winter’s campaign report can be viewed at the Board’s website http://www.cfbreport.state.mn.us/pdfStorage/2010/CampFin/B/11954.pdf