Tag: Rep. Paulsen

Paulsen Gets Promoted:

ERIK PAULSEN IS NOW THE 4TH BIGGEST TAKER OF PAC MONEY IN CONGRESS

Paulsen’s special interest patrons are desperate, scrambling to buy election as Paulsen’s negative campaign backfires

Excelsior, MN – Erik Paulsen’s unprecedented negative campaign has drawn public rebuke from independent journalists, community leaders, sexual harassment and assault survivors, attorneys, and members of his own party in the past week alone. Meanwhile, special interest groups and super PACs are pouring money into Paulsen’s campaign coffers and spending even more on his behalf, doubling down on their deceitful campaign in a last-ditch effort to protect their investment. As a result, Congressman Erik Paulsen is now the fourth biggest taker of PAC money in all of Congress, up from sixth just a few weeks ago, and eighth in August.

“Erik Paulsen has sold his votes to the highest bidder,” said Zach Rodvold, campaign manager for Phillips for Congress. “Voters should ask: can the 4th biggest taker of special interest money in all of Congress really represent the people of Minnesota’s Third Congressional District? Congressman Paulsen’s record – voting 98% of the time with Donald Trump, and over and over again with special interests – proves the answer is ‘no.’ The staggering about of PAC money that bankrolls Erik Paulsen’s campaign speaks for itself. Erik Paulsen is bought and sold.”

MORE FROM PACS THAN FROM PEOPLE

Erik Paulsen has taken more than $2.6 million from PACs in this election cycle alone. That sum accounts for 51% of his total fundraising. Only 3% of Erik Paulsen’s campaign contributions came from individual small dollar donors. In the same period, Dean Phillips has taken $0 from PACs, instead raising over $4 million from 64,000 individual donors and counting. Continue reading “Paulsen Gets Promoted:”

Paulsen fails voters again and again

To the editor:< Once again, Rep. Paulsen has put party politics and special interest groups ahead of the voters. It happened with recent tax reform, where the Ways & Means committee Erik serves on crafted legislation that reduced our state income tax/property tax deduction to $10,000 per year and largely eliminated many of us from sharing in any of the highly touted tax cuts. More importantly, those tax cuts were little more than a thinly veiled effort to buy our votes, and will add $1.5 trillion to the nation’s deficit. It happened when Erik ignored the overwhelming majority of voters in our district who favor meaningful gun control in favor of garnering an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association. I think it’s safe to assume that rating includes generous financial support from the NRA as well. Now it’s happened again, where thanks to federal legislation, over 300,000 senior citizens in Minnesota will lose their existing Medicare health plan supplement at the end of the year. For 2019, our choices include (1) paying an additional $1,000 per year to retain coverage that is comparable to our current plan, or (2) joining a program where coverage is diluted with costly co-pays, and our choice of doctors/providers is limited. In either case, seniors’ health insurance is taking a big step backwards. Some readers may suspect that my criticism is partisan. Fact is, I worked for Rep. Paulsen’s political campaign years ago helping with street signs and literature. I’ve also served as a delegate at the Minnesota Republican convention. But the bottom line is our political system is broken, and we’re badly in need of newly elected officials. Rep. Paulsen has demonstrated his constituents are no longer his priority. He’s had ample opportunity to serve – now it’s time for a change. Roddy Geckler, Edina Edina Sun-Current, October 18, 2018

Subjects Of Erik Paulsen’s Allina Harassment Ad Dispute Accuracy

Minneapolis (WCCO) — An ad paid for by Friends of Erik Paulsen accuses opponent Dean Phillips of covering up sexual harassment allegations while he was on the board at Allina Health.

The ad, approved by incumbent and candidate for Congress Erik Paulsen, throws the 2007 sexual harassment allegations of seven women into the spotlight.

“I was in shock, disbelief, and then angry,” Chelsea said.

View the complete October 18 article by Jennifer Mayerle on the WCCO website here.

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””