Since news broke last week that Republican Pete Stauber in Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District was caught campaigning on the taxpayer’s dime, pressure is mounting on Stauber to release the emails in question. Multiple news outlets have requested the 15 emails between Stauber’s official email address and individuals at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), with local leaders condemning Stauber’s actions and calling for him to release the emails to the public.
DCCC Spokesperson Rachel Irwin issued the following statement in response:
“If Pete Stauber has nothing to hide, he should immediately release the emails in question to the public. Stauber’s refusal to do so reeks of a cover-up and paints a clear picture that he’s willing to cheat the taxpayer for his own political gain. Pete ‘the cheat’ Stauber owes his constituents answers given this is an ongoing trend of him using his official office to campaign.”
Pressure Mounting on Stauber to Release the Emails
WDIO (ABC) – “St. Louis County confirmed yesterday that Stauber exchanged several emails with a Republican contact in Washington over his campaign”
KBJR6 (NBC) – DFL leaders call on Stauber to release emails
Mesabi Daily News: County on Defense Over Stauber Emails As It Refuses to Release
According to the online St. Louis County Policy Manual, “St. Louis County elected officials will not use St. Louis County funds, equipment, supplies, employees, or facilities in support of their own campaigns for re-election, other candidates for public office, or political organizations.”
“He very clearly violated those,” Russ said, before arguing Stauber should have known better and describing how she and other people work careers and serve in public office while operating under rules separating their public and private lives, adding, “We have to be vigilant.”
The News Tribune pressed the county to release the emails as part of the public record. The county has said the emails are classified by state statute as private data between Stauber and individuals.
FOX 21 – Pete Stauber’s Email Controversy
Tension and skepticism is high as Republican Congressional Candidate and St. Louis County Commissioner Pete Stauber has been accused of violating a county policy, by emailing a GOP group using his government email address.
Now, some Democrats say they want answers.
“It’s clear that Pete Stauber thinks that he has one set of rules, for himself, and one set of rules for everybody else,” said Alan Netland, President of the Northeast Area Labor Council.
This isn’t the only instance… the Star Tribune reports on Stauber promoting his official events via his campaign:
Star Tribune: U.S. House candidate Pete Stauber used government email for political correspondence
A late August St. Louis County news release announced that “Stauber has invited U.S. Rep. Greg Walden of Oregon to Duluth to learn more about the treatment and recovery help being offered in St. Louis County for people battling opioid addictions.”
Walden, who is the emeritus two term chair of the NRCC, visited a drug treatment clinic in Duluth and did a roundtable with Stauber, who then memorialized the visit via his campaign e-mail newsletter.