Tag: Erik Paulsen

Commentary: Elections suffer from a pay-to-play system

Tiffany Muller, President of End Citizens United, a campaign finance reform organization based in Washington, DC.

Since 1999, over 200,000 people in the U.S. have died from prescription opioid overdoses. Thousands have been from Minnesota. For context, over 116,000 Americans lost their lives in World War I. It’s an epidemic that crosses all demographics, socioeconomic statuses, and communities.

This crisis is exacerbated by a broken political system that’s been flooded with unchecked special interest money. It’s corrupting Washington and directly hurting Minnesotans.

Politicians pander to special interests like Big Pharma that are ready to shell out tens of millions of dollars to elect politicians who will protect their profits.

One of the worst offenders of this pay-to-play system is right here in the 3rd Congressional District, Congressman Erik Paulsen.

Since joining Congress in 2009, Paulsen has abandoned his job as a representative of the people to do the bidding of the special interests. The numbers are telling. Continue reading “Commentary: Elections suffer from a pay-to-play system”

Who are the 2018 Koch Candidates?

The following article by David Armiak was posted on the PR Watch website May 24, 2018:

At the 2018 Koch Donor Summit in January, the network of billionaires convened by Charles and David Koch announced that it plans to spend $400 million in the 2018 midterm election cycle, close to double the amount spent in the 2014 midterms and a 60 percent increase over the 2016 election cycle. The Kochs had planned to spend $900 million in the 2016 election cycle, but ended up spending less after Trump won the Republican nomination. “We will be spending more than any midterm in our network history,” Americans for Prosperity’s president Tim Phillips said.

“My challenge to all of us is to increase the scale and effectiveness of this network by an order of magnitude, by another tenfold on top of all the growth and progress we’ve already made,” Charles Koch said to more than 500 attendees, who each donated at least $100,000 in 2017. Continue reading “Who are the 2018 Koch Candidates?”

Erik Paulsen Questioned Repeatedly at First Public Events in Nearly 7 Years on His $8 Million Debt to Special Interests

Congressman Paulsen struggled to explain his links to special interests

Yesterday, a select group of Minnesota voters had their first chance in nearly seven years to ask Congressman Erik Paulsen a question at a ‘town-hall’ style setting, and they had a lot to ask. Voters repeatedly challenged him on the more than $8 million he’s taken from PACs in the last ten years. Paulsen is solidly within the top ten recipients of special interest money in the entire United States Congress.

Paulsen’s constituents asked him to explain his financial connection to industries such as Big Pharma and Big Oil, organizations like the NRA and his refusal to sign The Minnesota Way pledge TEN times. This is in addition to the four times he was questioned about his lack of town halls in the last seven years. Continue reading “Erik Paulsen Questioned Repeatedly at First Public Events in Nearly 7 Years on His $8 Million Debt to Special Interests”

DFL Chair Calls on Erik Paulsen to Apologize After His Super PAC Calls Constituents ‘Animals’

Paulsen has refused to sign DFL Candidate Dean Phillip’s pledge to keep SuperPACs out of Minnesota’s Third Congressional District

Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party Chairman Ken Martin today called on Republican Representative Erik Paulsen to apologize after his Super PAC called concerned constituents in Minnesota’s Third Congressional District “animals.” In an email ahead of his restricted town halls, Paulsen’s Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF) said concerned citizens will “show up in droves, like the animals they are.”

“This hateful comment embodies exactly why Minnesotans in the Third Congressional District are demanding new leadership. Using the guise of your big-money Super PAC to refer to your own constituents as ‘animals’ is cowardly and abhorrent. It’s time for Erik Paulsen to follow Dean Phillips’s lead, reject PAC influence, and bring civility back to Minnesota’s Third Congressional District.”

DFL Candidate Dean Phillips has challenged Paulsen to sign The Minnesota Way Pledge to reject special interests and PAC influence, value conversations with voters, and commit to running an open, accessible campaign. Paulsen refused at yesterday’s event after 40 days of silence. If Paulsen signs the pledge and return the PAC money he got this cycle, Dean Phillips has agreed not to self-fund his own campaign.

Erik Paulsen Refuses to Sign on to the Minnesota Way Pledge that Includes Proposals He Previously Supported

Hamel, MN – At a hastily noticed town hall meeting that was held at 10:00 AM on a work day and restricted to randomly-selected ticket-holders, Erik Paulsen was challenged by several of his constituents on issues related to campaign finance reform, and asked why he has so far refused to sign The Minnesota Way pledge that includes proposals he himself has supported as recently as 2016.

Paulsen’s response was that he “doesn’t have the latitude of inheriting millions of dollars and spending it on his own campaign” – an apparent reference to Dean Phillips, who has to date contributed $5,400 to his campaign, the maximum allowed by an individual, and in-kinded a total of $19,596.52.

What’s more, Phillips has already stated publicly that if Congressman Paulsen signs The Minnesota Way pledge, he will agree to forego any self-financing of his own campaign.

Continue reading “Erik Paulsen Refuses to Sign on to the Minnesota Way Pledge that Includes Proposals He Previously Supported”

Seven Questions for Seven Years for Congressman Paulsen

Voters in Minnesota’s Third Congressional District get to ask questions for one day after waiting seven years

Excelsior, MN – Congressman Erik Paulsen is hosting one day of town halls for the first time in seven years. After avoiding a public dialogue with his constituents for so long, he announced three meetings taking place in small venues – two during the day during working hours – and voters are only allowed in with a pre-approved ticket and a photo ID.

In contrast, Dean Phillips has made accessibility a hallmark of his campaign, inviting everybody in the district to join him at town hall meetings, open office hours (including on Lake Minnetonka) and community events. Based on countless conversations with voters, it is clear the following questions are on their minds: Continue reading “Seven Questions for Seven Years for Congressman Paulsen”

Paulsen lacks the thick skin of other Republicans

To the editor:

Reader Rofidal (May 17) describes his experience with Erik Paulsen. He receives regular phone calls and mentions office hours. No doubt he has access. He lives here, votes for Paulsen and may contribute time or money. Supporters can always access their candidates. He says this is open to others and says “left-wing protesters” shouldn’t be demanding town hall meetings.

He really cannot speak for those who aren’t known supporters. I have tried and failed. I get form letters that respond to none of the questions in my letters. I have had one robo-call for his invitation-only call-in sessions. Does anyone like them? The script didn’t get to the point. Had I got a non-interruptive email with details I would have read and checked my calendar. However, reading how it is done (questions are screened with no follow-up to non-answers), why bother? Continue reading “Paulsen lacks the thick skin of other Republicans”

Erik Paulsen: Bold Immigration Reformer or Midterm Election Opportunist?

This week, Erik Paulsen joined a coalition of 20 of the most vulnerable house republicans in a stated effort to persuade House GOP leadership to take a vote on the Deferred Action Childhood Arrival (DACA) program. Paulsen’s sudden interest in DACA starkly defies his own well-established voting record on immigration. While the midterms might compel Paulsen to project an empathetic stance, his own record reveals this performative 180° degree turn as last-ditch attempt to persuade angry voters in Minnesota’s Third Congressional District that this issue is one that actually matters to him.

Unfortunately for Paulsen, it’s far too late for this leopard to change his spots on immigration; here are 6 examples of Representative Erik Paulsen efforts that have harmed immigrant families and communities: Continue reading “Erik Paulsen: Bold Immigration Reformer or Midterm Election Opportunist?”

After 2,459 Days, Rep. Paulsen to Finally Hold Small Town Halls

We’ve just become aware of three town halls Rep. Paulsen will be holding on May 30, 2018. The locations will be small, tickets must be requested in advance and a photo ID must be presented before a ticket holder will be allowed into the town hall.

  • May 30, 9:45 AM — Hamel, MN.  No location specifics provided. Request a ticket here.
  • May 30, 1:45 PM — Chanhassen, MN.  No location specifics provided. Request a ticket here.
  • May 30, 6:45 PM — Brooklyn Park, MN. No location specifics provided. Request a ticket here.

This sounds similar to the type of limited town hall Rep. Lewis has recently held. And, they will be Wednesday of Memorial Day weekend when many people are either still out of town on vacation or catching up at work and unable to take time away. So, not a true town hall, but some constituents will still have a chance to gain access to their representative in Congress.

Where’s Erik Paulsen?

Our Representative in Congress held a public town hall September 6, 2011. Since then, there’ve been last minute meetings announced on social media shortly before they happen, tele-town halls where questions can be vetted before being forwarded, appearances at local businesses and school, robocalls that come to you saying he’s sorry you weren’t there to take his invitation to the tele-townhalls — but no traditional town hall until May of 2018.  Then reservations were required and interaction was limited.

Rep. Erik Paulsen held no public town halls for 2,459 days.