racheleggert
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Posted on Sat, Jul. 24, 2004
County prosecutors won't charge Kahn
She still could face misdemeanor count
BY BRIAN BAKST
Associated Press
Anoka County prosecutors declined Friday to criminally charge DFL state Rep. Phyllis Kahn in an alleged case of campaign tampering, but said a New Hope city attorney could still file theft charges over the literature-swiping incident.
Meanwhile, House Republicans said they might make an ethics complaint against the 32-year legislative veteran from Minneapolis.
Kahn has apologized to Rep. Lynne Osterman for taking the first-term Republican's campaign brochures from doorsteps in her New Hope district and replacing it with pieces from a DFL opponent.
The incident occurred Monday as Kahn was helping Sandra Peterson campaign. Local police confronted Kahn after an area resident called to report the literature swap. Kahn was initially cited with violating a city ordinance, but police later dropped the citation and referred the case for possible charges.
The Hennepin County attorney's office asked neighboring Anoka County to review the case because Kahn has worked with Hennepin officials as a legislator.
Anoka County Assistant Attorney James Weber Jr. said the only potential offense is misdemeanor theft, which the New Hope city attorney would handle.
House Majority Leader Erik Paulsen said the incidents might warrant an ethics case in the Legislature, which has the power to punish its members or even remove them.
"We're looking into it," Paulsen said. "Do her actions bring the House into disrepute? Yes, they do."
Kahn, who is seeking a 17th term, was on a bike trip in Iowa and couldn't be reached Friday, a House DFL spokesman said.
But she told KSTP-TV and WCCO-TV, which found her at home Friday, that she had done a "stupid thing" and was sorry.
"It just shows that you can be in this business, you can be very old, and supposedly very smart, and you can be in this business for a long time and can still do really stupid things," Kahn told KSTP.
Kahn told the station she was willing to answer to her constituents and talk to them about it. But asked if she would resign, she laughed and said, "Give me a break."
She admitted taking the literature in her apology letter to Osterman. In it, Kahn told her colleague she was "interested in seeing what you were saying. I'm sure it will have little effect on your campaign but I know it was wrong and I am sorry."
This isn't the first instance where a legislator has come under scrutiny for messing with another candidate's campaign materials. Nearly 20 years ago, a Worthington-area state senator was charged with misdemeanor theft for removing an opponent's literature from doorknobs in an apartment building.
Republican Sen. Doran Isackson admitted that "in a moment of weakness" he took DFLer Jim Vickerman's brochures on the eve of the election. Isackson lost the race and the charge was dropped when he agreed to write an open letter in area newspapers apologizing for the incident.
County prosecutors won't charge Kahn
She still could face misdemeanor count
BY BRIAN BAKST
Associated Press
Anoka County prosecutors declined Friday to criminally charge DFL state Rep. Phyllis Kahn in an alleged case of campaign tampering, but said a New Hope city attorney could still file theft charges over the literature-swiping incident.
Meanwhile, House Republicans said they might make an ethics complaint against the 32-year legislative veteran from Minneapolis.
Kahn has apologized to Rep. Lynne Osterman for taking the first-term Republican's campaign brochures from doorsteps in her New Hope district and replacing it with pieces from a DFL opponent.
The incident occurred Monday as Kahn was helping Sandra Peterson campaign. Local police confronted Kahn after an area resident called to report the literature swap. Kahn was initially cited with violating a city ordinance, but police later dropped the citation and referred the case for possible charges.
The Hennepin County attorney's office asked neighboring Anoka County to review the case because Kahn has worked with Hennepin officials as a legislator.
Anoka County Assistant Attorney James Weber Jr. said the only potential offense is misdemeanor theft, which the New Hope city attorney would handle.
House Majority Leader Erik Paulsen said the incidents might warrant an ethics case in the Legislature, which has the power to punish its members or even remove them.
"We're looking into it," Paulsen said. "Do her actions bring the House into disrepute? Yes, they do."
Kahn, who is seeking a 17th term, was on a bike trip in Iowa and couldn't be reached Friday, a House DFL spokesman said.
But she told KSTP-TV and WCCO-TV, which found her at home Friday, that she had done a "stupid thing" and was sorry.
"It just shows that you can be in this business, you can be very old, and supposedly very smart, and you can be in this business for a long time and can still do really stupid things," Kahn told KSTP.
Kahn told the station she was willing to answer to her constituents and talk to them about it. But asked if she would resign, she laughed and said, "Give me a break."
She admitted taking the literature in her apology letter to Osterman. In it, Kahn told her colleague she was "interested in seeing what you were saying. I'm sure it will have little effect on your campaign but I know it was wrong and I am sorry."
This isn't the first instance where a legislator has come under scrutiny for messing with another candidate's campaign materials. Nearly 20 years ago, a Worthington-area state senator was charged with misdemeanor theft for removing an opponent's literature from doorknobs in an apartment building.
Republican Sen. Doran Isackson admitted that "in a moment of weakness" he took DFLer Jim Vickerman's brochures on the eve of the election. Isackson lost the race and the charge was dropped when he agreed to write an open letter in area newspapers apologizing for the incident.