Ethics committee dismisses complaints against Engen, Hudson, Falconer

Good morning, Reformers,

Minnesota lawmakers held a pair of ethics hearings Friday in response to recent allegations of impropriety by legislators. 

GOP Reps. Elliott Engen of White Bear Township and Walter Hudson of Albertville, who left a March 26 education committee hearing to drink beers at Burger Moe’s, defended their behavior to the House Ethics Committee. (Much later, in the early morning hours of March 27, they were pulled over by police, and Engen was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated. Hudson was intoxicated and in possession of a handgun in the passenger seat, according to the police report, though he wasn’t arrested or cited. That wasn’t the subject of the ethics hearing, however.) 

Engen said his departure from the committee meeting was justified because he didn’t need to listen to “nonsensical ideas” put forward by Democrats. 

“When the parts of the job that aren’t productive, that aren’t conducive to good policymaking are requiring you to sit and continue playing in that charade, I don’t play that game. I will leave happily knowing that they can continue to blow hot air without my presence,” Engen said. 

Hudson, who complained that he was denied due process because he didn’t have enough time to garner witnesses, implied that drinking on the job isn’t unusual at the Capitol. 

The Ethics committee also considered sanctions for Democratic-Farmer-Labor Rep. Alex Falconer, who has authored bills that would benefit his employer, Northeast Minnesotans for Wilderness. Falconer previously lobbied at the Capitol on behalf of the organization, and northeast Minnesotans for Wilderness continues to lobby lawmakers, according to the ethics complaint. 

Both complaints were dismissed by the Ethics committee, which is comprised of two Democrats and two Republicans, Michelle reports. 

And, check out Reformer Editor J. Patrick Coolican’s recent appearances on CityCast and MPR’s Politics Friday. 

Brian Martucci reported that a Nobles County Board decision to reject a proposed data center is a sign of increasing public opposition to the massive, energy-intensive data warehouses. 

Michelle rounded up the status of some important bills in the Legislature, many of which have stalled with just three weeks to go in the legislative session.  

Max Nesterak reported that two construction subcontractors agreed to pay $1.28 million in back wages and damages to 26 workers to settle the largest wage theft case ever brought by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry.

Claire Carlson wrote that west central Minnesota could soon be home to the state’s largest dairy farm as powerhouse Riverview Dairy seeks to expand their Morris-based West River Dairy operation from 7,855 cows to almost 19,000 cows. 

I reported that federal agents executed more than 20 search warrants related to fraud investigations in MInnesota’s public programs. 

Michelle covered Gov. Tim Walz’s final State of the State address, which focused on commending Minnesotans for their resilience and support for one another during recent crises. 

Max wrote about the plight of Roberto Hernandez, 62, the father of a Minneapolis police detective who has been in immigration detention for months after living peacefully in the U.S. for decades. 

Melissa Whitler reports that warning signs about the Minneapolis Public Schools senior finance officer, Ibrahima Diop, had been accumulating for months before he left his position on Jan. 2, leaving behind a department in chaos even as the district deals with a $50 million deficit. . 

Michelle reported that the Minnesota Senate passed a zero-interest, $100 million forgivable loan program for businesses across the state that lost revenue because of the federal government’s immigration crackdown. It’s unlikely to pass the tied House. 

A handful of childcare providers from Northern Minnesota called for a statewide universal childcare option. 

Patrick Hamilton, a fellow for the Science Museum of Minnesota, writes that algae blooms are appearing in the cool lakes of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, an indication of a warming climate. 

Chad Maschke used AI to help analyze X posts by the entire Minnesota congressional delegation over the past year to see who was the most uncivil poster — and it’s U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer by far, he found.