Is Chris Coleman using mayoral campaign funds for 2010 planning?
St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman has been widely rumored to be considering a run for governor in 2010. He's also running for reelection as St. Paul's mayor this year.
Here's the rub...
Coleman's mayoral opponent, Eva Ng, is calling on Coleman to explain why his campaign committee is spending money on airline tickets, restaurants and hotels outside the city of St. Paul. She's citing Coleman's own campaign fundraising report.
Here's the list compiled from Ng's campaign:
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Travel & Hotels
3/12/09 Midwest Airlines for $619.39
3/13/09 Orbitz.com for $107.88
7/23/09 Alexandria, MN Arrowwood Resort & Conference Center Deposit for $200.00
7/30/09 Rochester, MN Kahler Grand Hotel for $452.98
7/30/09 Northwest Airlines for $249.19
8/17/09 Alexandria, MN Arrowwood Resort & Conference Center Lodging Payment for $107.80
Meals & Restaurants
6/18/09 CD7 Dinner for $60.00
7/29/09 Rochester, MN Gilligan's Cove restaurant for $13.00
7/30/09 Rochester, MN Kahler Grand Grill for $86.89
8/3/09 Granite City Brewery for $35.82 (There are no Granite City Brewery locations in St. Paul: http://www.gcfb.net/locations.cfm)
Donations to Political Units Outside St. Paul
2/7/09 Senate District 32 DFL (includes Maple Grove, Osseo, Rogers) received $50.00
6/11/09 Rice County DFL received $200.00
I'm waiting for a response from the Coleman campaign and will post it when they comment.
Update: Coleman campaign manager John Stiles said Coleman spent campaign money to address The Young Democrats of America Convention, the Minnesota Building Trades Convention and the State Convention of the Minnesota Association of Justice. He said it's expected that Coleman traveled to major political events.
"He's one of the most prominent Democrats in Minnestoa and thesre are places that any prominent Democratic mayor of St. Paul would go," Stiles said.
Stiles said it's likely that Coleman discussed a probable run for governor in 2010 at the events but added that St. Paul voters are not bothered by a possible run for governor. He pointed to Coleman's overwhelming victory in last week's primary.
UPDATE: From the you can't make this up department. On the same day that she's criticizing Coleman for traveling outside of St. Paul, Eva Ng is holding a fundraiser in (drumroll) Inver Grove Heights. It's on the MNGOP website.