Omar Fateh’s mayoral campaign probably broke state law, judge says
Judge: Fateh campaign may have broke state law
Sen. Omar Fateh's campaign for Minneapolis mayor may have broke state law, a judge said. FOX 9's Mike Manzoni has more.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - State Sen. Omar Fateh’s mayoral campaign continued to use a DFL endorsement logo on campaign literature and yard signs and on its website even after the party revoked its endorsement, a move that likely violated state law, a judge found.
Judge finds probable cause that Fateh campaign broke the law, allows case to move forward
What we know:
Fateh’s mayoral campaign continued to distribute fliers, lawn signs and other literature bearing the DFL logo even after the party revoked its endorsement, according to a complaint filed with the Minnesota Court of Administrative Hearings.
The decision to continue to use the DFL logo probably violated state law, an administrative judge found. According to court documents, the Fateh campaign did not deny the allegations. The party rescinded its endorsement on Aug. 21 but did not request that the campaign remove its logo until Aug. 26, according to court records.
Who filed the complaint:
The complaint was filed by Timothy Keane, a Minneapolis-based real estate attorney. In his complaint, he included multiple social media posts and an archived screenshot of Fateh’s campaign website as evidence.
What’s the law:
The Fair Campaign Practices Act prohibits "a false claim stating or implying that a candidate or ballot question has the support or endorsement of a major political party or party unit or of an organization." Under the law, "a person or candidate may not state in written campaign material that the candidate or ballot question has the support or endorsement of an individual without first getting written permission from the individual to do so."
Complaint comes after DFL endorsement was revoked
The backstory:
In July, the DFL endorsed Fateh for Minneapolis mayor during its annual convention. But the party revoked its endorsement a month later amid concerns about how the process unfolded. Mayor Jacob Frey’s campaign challenged the endorsement, calling the voting process "highly flawed" and "untested." The party did not endorse another candidate.
The response:
When contacted by FOX 9, the Fateh campaign provided the following statement:
"Following the unprecedented revocation of the DFL endorsement, Sen. Fateh’s campaign for Minneapolis mayor made all reasonable efforts to correct our campaign materials, stop the dissemination of materials with DFL branding and to replace all of our materials. We are doing everything we can to comply with and uphold Minnesota state law, and we have faith the judges will fairly review all evidence to deliver a satisfactory outcome for all parties."
What’s next:
The case will now go before a panel of three judges for a final determination and assessment of any penalties.