Tag: Erik Paulsen

After Erik Paulsen charges CEOs with sex harassment cover up, the blowtorch comes out

Paulsen’s scorched-earth tactics make the Huns look like male cheerleaders. But when he set his guns on corporate leaders, they fired back Credit: WCCO screengrab

The ad opens with foreboding tones and black-and-white photos, telegraphing to the viewer that great fiendishness is at hand.

It goes on to explain his term as board chairman of Allina Heath, where, 11 years ago, seven nurses sued the nonprofit for “lewd comments, groping, and even assault.” (Message: Is Dean Phillips a pervert?)

But “Phillips and the board did nothing,” the ad concludes. (Message: Why isn’t “Shady Dean Phillips” on the sex offender registry yet?)

View the complete October 18 article by Kete Kotz on the CityPages website here.

Erik Paulsen Needs to Take His Own Advice

Paulsen’s campaign should show the civility, discourse, and restraint he called for last year

Erik Paulsen needs to start taking his own advice. Last year, the Third District Republican called for “civility, discourse, restraint, whether it’s in the political system or society as a whole.”  Yet over the course of his campaign against DFLer Dean Phillips, Congressman Paulsen has run a campaign devoid of civility, discourse, or restraint.

As a member of the bipartisan Congressional Civility Caucus, Erik Paulsen has joined other representatives from both parties who have said they are “taking action to restore civility and respect in our political discourse.” But Paulsen’s campaign tactics are anything but civil and are probably enough to warrant his ejection from that club. As recently as this week Paulsen has been condemned by constituents, business and community leaders for the incivility with which he continues to launch misleading attacks against his opponent Dean Phillips.  

A closer look at Paulsen’s behavior during the campaign shows a stark contradiction between his words and actions. Continue reading “Erik Paulsen Needs to Take His Own Advice”

New Record for ‘Outside Spending’ on Minnesota House Races

With nearly three weeks to go before Election Day, outside special interest groups have already spent a record amount of money in Minnesota. This week, the outside spending surpassed $27 million, more than the record $26.9 million spent in the entire 2016 election cycle.

“Money is attracted to competitive races and we’re right in the middle of that,” said Steven Schier, a political scientist from Carleton College. “I think money is going to Minnesota because the polling on both sides that we don’t see publicly shows a lot of competition, particularly in the congressional races.”

KSTP ‘Vote 2018’ Election Coverage

A review of outside spending records at opensecrets.org shows a pronounced increase in spending on Minnesota’s U.S. House races. In 2008, just $5.7 million was spent in the state. That figure jumps to $21.9 million in 2014 and now to more than $27 million.

View the complete October 17 post on the KSTP.com website here.

Paulsen, NRCC, CLF Ignore Public Shaming, Double Down on Lies

Paulsen’s coordinated smear campaign reaches an unprecedented low as he ignores requests from survivors to stop who demand better

Excelsior, MN – Erik Paulsen’s desperate and disgraceful coordinated smear campaign against Dean Phillips reached new lows this week when the Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF), Paulsen for Congress and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) released new coordinated ads featuring claims that have drawn extraordinary blowback from one of the Twin Cities’ most important health providers, prominent Republicans, community and business leaders, and the sexual assault and harassment survivors Paulsen is using as political pawns.

The women, represented by attorney Lori Peterson, recently called on Paulsen to take down his ad and apologize for exploiting their trauma and drawing them into a political attack based on a lie. Instead, Paulsen and his special interests patrons are doubling down.

“This is the most vile, offensive and objectively untruthful campaign ever conducted in Minnesota, and Erik Paulsen is to blame,” said Zach Rodvold, campaign manager for Phillips for Congress. “In Congressman Paulsen’s desperation to hold onto power, he’s shown that he is willing to do and say anything to win, even forcing survivors of sexual assault and harassment to relive their trauma for his own personal gain. Those women have joined with Republicans, business and community leaders and people across the district in calling on Paulsen to take his ads down and apologize. That’s exactly what he should do.” Continue reading “Paulsen, NRCC, CLF Ignore Public Shaming, Double Down on Lies”

With Three Weeks to Election Day, Desperate GOP Attacks Continue to Backfire

With no positive message to run on, Republican candidates continue to resort to misleading and flat-out false attack ads.

As Minnesota Republican Congressional candidates and their Washington allies get increasingly desperate, their attacks on DFL candidates continue to backfire. With no positive message to run on, Republicans continue to resort to misleading and flat-out false attack ads.

“The outrageous falsehoods that the Republican party continues to peddle are pathetic,” said DFL Chair Ken Martin.  “From accusing decorated combat veteran Dan Feehan of being hostile to our Armed Forces, to suggesting that well-regarded civic leaders took part in a sexual harassment cover-up, the GOP has stooped to new lows in a last-ditch attempt to hold on to their fleeting Congressional majority. Republicans are refusing to talk about their policy positions because they know that DFLers are on the winning side of the issues voters care about, like ensuring access to quality affordable health care, getting dark money and special interests out of politics, and creating an economy that works for all Minnesotans.”

Yesterday, The Star Tribune published an op-ed penned by several respected Twin Cities civic leaders condemning Third District Rep. Erik Paulsen for the “unprecedented” and “outrageous” lies in his latest attack on DFL candidate Dean Phillips. Unlike other attack ads this year from outside groups, the spot in question is paid for an authorized directly by the Paulsen campaign. Continue reading “With Three Weeks to Election Day, Desperate GOP Attacks Continue to Backfire”

Have dishonest political ads become the norm?

To the Editor:

For several months I’ve watched as Erik Paulsen’s campaign, PACs, shadow groups, and even the Congressman himself resort to lie after lie about Dean Phillips and wonder why he resorts to such dishonest attack ads to win reelection.

After all, the facts are clear and verifiable:

  • Phillips has always provided health insurance to his full-time workers. And he pays a $15 minimum wage to help part-timers buy their own coverage.
  • As Allina Board Chairman, he was never involved in either negotiations or strategies for dealing with the nurses’ union. That’s not a board chair’s role or responsibility.
  • The Paulsen ads try to tie him to sexual-harassment complaints filed against Talenti Gelato, a company he once owned. Those complaints were from July 2015, more than a year after he’d sold the company.
  • Phillips was gone two years from Phillips Distillery when someone filed complaint about a marketing strategy that seemed to target youth, a campaign the company ended shortly after the complaint.
  • The Phillips Family Foundation, which Paulsen says “stashes money in offshore accounts” is a charitable organization that doesn’t pay taxes other than small federal excise taxes, so it has no reason to “stash” anything offshore.
  • The taxes they allege he avoided paying was actually an $89 fee assessed against and paid by his former company (Talenti Gelato) for filing a tax form late in 2013.

Continue reading “Have dishonest political ads become the norm?”

Minnesota Leaders Join Together to Condemn Erik Paulsen’s Unprecedented Negative Campaign as “Reckless,” “Inappropriate” and “Desperate”

Paulsen’s coordinated smear campaign uses sexual harassment survivors as political pawns against their will, a new low in Minnesota politics

Excelsior, MN — In a stunning editorial yesterday, Minnesota business and community leaders joined together to condemn Erik Paulsen’s outrageously negative and dishonest campaign. The influential group issued an incredible rebuke of Erik Paulsen’s campaign, labeling it “reckless,” and “inappropriate,” and saying that “he has exhibited some of the worst behavior and judgment that we have ever seen in a congressional campaign.”

Paulsen, who has previously worked hard to craft a “nice guy” image, has repeatedly doubled down on this, and other false, out of context and distorted attacks, in his 2018 campaign against Dean Phillips. And while Republican outside spending groups have garnered national attention for their strategy of coordinated personal attacks based on falsehoods, Erik Paulsen himself has paid for and approved five straight ads containing these lies. Paulsen has even refused to acknowledge a request made by an attorney on behalf of the sexual harassment survivors that he stop using them as political pawns and take the ad down and apologize.

Authors of this article include:

  • Bill and Penny George: Penny is chair of the George Family Foundation, Bill is former chair and CEO of Medtronic.
  • Ed and Valerie Spencer: Ed is a former Allina Health Board Chair, both he and Valerie are community volunteers.
  • Tad and Cindy Piper: Tad is the retired chairman and CEO of Piper Jaffray, both he and Cindy are community volunteers.
  • Terry Saario and Lee Lynch: Terry is the former president of the Northwest Area Foundation, and Lee is cofounder of the advertising firm Carmichael Lynch.
  • Jim and Carmen Campbell: Jim is a former CEO of Wells Fargo Minnesota, both he and Carmen are community volunteers.

They write: Continue reading “Minnesota Leaders Join Together to Condemn Erik Paulsen’s Unprecedented Negative Campaign as “Reckless,” “Inappropriate” and “Desperate””

Retiring Speaker Ryan in campaign push for imperiled Republicans

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Retiring U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan on Monday launched a whirlwind tour of a dozen states, where he aims to pump up the campaigns of 25 embattled Republican members of Congress as the party fights to keep control of Congress.

With three weeks until the Nov. 6 congressional elections, most projections show Democrats holding a strong chance of gaining the 23 seats they would need to take a majority of that chamber and more effectively counter President Donald Trump.

Ryan will begin campaigning in the northeast, where he will appear with Representatives John Faso in New York and Leonard Lance in New Jersey, then go on to the Midwest next week to back Erik Paulsen in Minnesota and Rod Blum of Iowa and later return to the East Coast to campaign with Dave Brat of Virginia and Ted Budd of North Carolina.

View the complete article on the KFGO website here.

How I will be voting this year and why.

In the Nov. 6 election, I will do something for the first time in 50 years. I will be voting a straight DFL ballot.

After almost four decades as a Republican Hennepin County commissioner, 50-plus years as a Republican activist, and having probably chaired more Republican conventions than anyone in the state, let me say it simply: President Donald Trump is unhinged, and some of us who have been Republicans have to say it loud and clear.

Trump has hijacked the Republican label. Trump has little to do with the principles and standards of the Minnesota Republican Party over many years. Continue reading “How I will be voting this year and why.”

‘Working mom’ in Erik Paulsen ad is actually a Pennsylvania politician

The scene is straight from Campaign Cinema 101. Natalie Mihalek, self-proclaimed “working mom,” appears in a nice-but-not-too-nice living room, making her seem just like you.

She never says where she’s from. But since this is an ad for suburban Minneapolis Congressman Erik Paulsen, the implication is she’s just an everyday mom from, say, Plymouth or Osseo. The kind who brings lemon bars to science fairs and cheers supportively at her daughter’s T-ball games.

She’s here to talk about how “thrilled” she is with Erik Paulsen’s “middle-class tax cut.”

View the complete October 16 article by Pete Kotz on the CityPages website here.