GOP Minnesota Senate candidate Keri Heintzeman says campaign finance complaint is a "smear"
A GOP Minnesota Senate candidate says a complaint filed Wednesday accusing her of violating campaign finance law is a "smear."
Keri Heintzeman won the GOP primary last week in the special election to replace disgraced former state Sen. Justin Eichorn, who resigned following charges of attempting to pay a teenage girl for sex.
Now, the Minnesota DFL alleges she ignored campaign contribution limits by accepting more than the maximum allowed from nine different donors.
"This is a baseless effort to smear my reputation just before the election. The accusation lacks merit, and my campaign adheres strictly to the highest ethical standards," Heintzeman told WCCO.
The complaint says state law does not allow candidates to accept more than $1,000 per donor, but records show nine donors gave her two separate $1,000 donations.
Heintzeman says she reached out to the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board to confirm rules regarding contribution limits. The board told WCCO contribution limits for the special election cycle are separate from the limits for a regular election cycle.
That means, under Minnesota Statutes Section 10A.27 — the law she is accused of violating — an individual could donate up to $1,000 before the official election cycle begins and up to another $1,000 after it begins.
The special election time frame for Senate District 6 is between March 25 and May 20. According to the complaint filed against Heintzeman, all of the first $1,000 donations were given between March 22 and 24. The second $1,000 donations were made between March 28 and 30.
"Those periods are parts of separate election cycle segments so the contribution limits apply to those periods independently," an employee for the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board said.
Heintzeman used to work for the Trump campaign and is the wife of GOP state Rep. Josh Heintzeman.
The special election will be held on Tuesday, where Heintzeman will face off against DFL candidate Denise Slipy to see who will represent the Brainerd Lakes area — a district that was dominated by the DFL for many years but now leans toward the GOP.
Whoever wins will take the oath of office in early May ahead of the crucial final weeks before the legislative session must end on May 19.
