Peggy Flanagan says she is a Phi Beta Kappa member, despite "false reporting"

U.S. Senate hopeful and current Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is disputing reporting that she lied about her status as a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honors society. 

On Wednesday, her campaign released a statement from Phi Beta Kappa that contradicts Wall Street Journal reporting that she inflated her academic record. 

"I can verify that Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, having been inducted in 2002 at the University of Minnesota," said Amber Cox, Associate Secretary and Chief Operating Officer of Phi Beta Kappa.

Flanagan's campaign says she was unable to afford the membership fee as a student. 

"According to Phi Beta Kappa, universities or donors often cover fees for students with unmet financial need, sometimes at the last minute, so students may not know their fee was paid on their behalf," her campaign said. 

Flanagan graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2002. 

Flanagan, the DFL nominee for U.S. Senate, has been Minnesota's lieutenant governor since 2019. She is running against Michele Tafoya, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, a former NBC sideline reporter and four-time Emmy winner who is now a conservative commentator.