Former Tower Mayor, City Clerk Charged In Clash With Newspaper Publisher

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TOWER, Minn. (AP) -- Two former officials in the northern Minnesota city of Tower are charged with criminal misconduct for allegedly trying to oust a newspaper publisher from a city agency.

Ex-Mayor Joshua Carlson and former City Clerk-Treasurer Linda Keith allegedly tried to remove Timberjay editor and publisher Marshall Helmberger from the Tower Economic Development Authority.

A criminal complaint says Carlson admitted he wanted Helmberger removed because he thought a grant was obtained without city approval. Helmberger wrote in an article Monday that city officials were angry over his critical reporting.

The Star Tribune reports that authorities began investigating in February after receiving a complaint that Keith altered public records to make it appear that Helmberger's term on the authority had expired.

Carlson told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he had no comment. A phone listing for Keith was not immediately available.