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→Election Cycle 2006: updating references
====A Stronger America - Minnesota====
In November 2006, Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party gubernatorial nominee [[Mike Hatch]]<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Hatch Mike Hatch,] ''Wikipedia''.</ref> sent an email to supporters which read<ref>Michael B. Brodkorb, [http://www.minnesotademocratsexposed.com/2006/11/03/statement-from-mn-gop-on-mike-hatch/ "Statement from MN GOP on Mike Hatch,"] ''MinnesotaDemocratsExposed.com'', November 3, 2006.</ref>
:A Stronger America-Minnesota purposefully structured itself to conceal its identity and its donors. It registered with the Campaign Finance Board on October 2, [2006] listing its address as a dropbox in Alexandria, Virginia. Its contributions were timed to avoid disclosure of its donors until after the November 7 election.
:A reverse directory search of 'A Stronger America's' phone number listed on its registration statement, however, shows that it and its ad agency share an office address with another PAC called 'Americans for Job Security.' The executive director of Americans for Job Security is the former political director of the Bush White House. ...
:This is not the first time we have seen this unseemly activity in Minnesota. In 2002, Americans for Job Security tried to buy the U.S. Senate race by purchasing $1 million in negative attack ads against Paul Wellstone.<ref>Michael B. Brodkorb, [https://web.archive.org/web/20120617130745/http://www.minnesotademocratsexposed.com/2006/11/03/statement-from-mn-gop-on-mike-hatch/ "Statement from MN GOP on Mike Hatch,"] ''MinnesotaDemocratsExposed.com'', November 3, 2006. Archived on Internet Wayback Machine, accessed July 1, 2014.</ref>
According to ASA-MN's October 27, 2006, filing with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board (MCFPDB), [[Joseph Deoudes]] was listed as treasurer, with the organization's address given as 107 South West Street, PMB499, Alexandria, Virginia.<ref name="MCF">[http://www.cfbreport.state.mn.us/pdfStoragerptViewer/2006/CampFin/B/40968Main.pdf php?do=viewPDF Report of Receipts and Expenditures for A Stronger America-Minnesota] filed October 27, 2006, with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board. Accessed July 1, 2014.</ref> ASA-MN's registration form shows [[Sean Henry]] as ASA-MN chair.<ref>[http://www.cfboard.state.mn.us/campfin/PCFDetail/PCF40968.html "Political Committees and Political Funds Registration Information: A Stronger America-Minnesota,] Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board.</ref>
In its initial filing, ASA-MN reported receipts of $40,300 from only four Minnesota contributors: [[Stanley S. Hubbard]], CEO of [[Hubbard Broadcasting]] ($10,000); CAR of St. Paul ($20,000); [[Robert J. Ulrich]], CEO Target ($10,000); and the "business [[lobbying firm]]"<ref>Tom Scheck, [http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/11/03/hatchreact/ "Suddenly, campaign pits Hatch vs. Hubbard,"], Minnesota Public Radio, November 3, 2006.</ref> Lindquist & Vennum PLLP ($300).<ref name="MCF"/>
:"A few days and $450,000 worth of donations later, they may be a force that could sway the election. ... It will be unclear where the last minute surge of donations came from due to the fact that they arrived after the final reporting deadline. However, the early reports feature the $20,000 donation from CAR, a group of car dealerships that Gubernatorial candidate Mike Hatch believes could have reason to prefer incumbent Tim Pawlenty in this race. According to the Star Tribune Hatch states 'I've sued a lot of car dealers.'"
The following day, on November 3, 2006, ASA-MN contributor and spokesman Joe Weber told the Associated Press that "the group has now raised close to $700,000." The group was not required to report its "fundraising and spending again until January [2007]."<ref name="Gin">[http://wcco.com/local/local_story_307153348.html "Anti-Hatch Ads Linked To Ex-Swift Boat Lawyer,"] Associated Press (CBS4 WCCO.com), November 3, 2006. Accessed July 1, 2014.</ref>
====Attack Ads Linked to Swift Boat Lawyer and Funder====
Ginsberg, who resigned in 2004 as a lawyer for President [[George W. Bush]]'s "campaign after acknowledging he was providing legal advice to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which made unsubstantiated allegations about [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] candidate [[John Kerry]]'s Vietnam War record," was also confirmed as being the lawyer for ASA-MN.<ref name="Gin"/>
In a December 19, 2006, follow-up, the Associated Press reported the same wealthy Houston, Texas, businessman, [[Bob Perry]], who had helped finance the Swift Boat ads against Kerry, was the "main funder" behind ASA-MN. A "recent filing with the Internal Revenue Service" showed that Perry had contributed $500,000 to [[A Stronger America]], whose Minnesota chapter had spent about $750,000 in its anti-Hatch campaign.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070817074122/http://wcco.com/election/local_story_353133839.html "Swift Boat Financier Paid For Anti-Hatch Ads,"] Associated Press (CBS4 WCCO.com), December 19, 2006. Archived by Internet Wayback Machine, accessed July 1, 2014.</ref>
ASA-MN spokesman Joe Weber said the "infusion of Texas cash" was wired into ASA's bank account "about three weeks before the Nov. 7 election. That timing allowed the group to avoid reporting the contributions before the election.
"It also allowed the group to mount an extensive television campaign that it otherwise might not have been able to muster."<ref>Pat Doyle, [http://www.startribune.com/587politics/story/88658911759341.html #yjJCKcuBUswCETww.97 " Swift Boat contributor funded ads against Hatch,"] ''Star-Tribune.com'' (Minn.), December 20, 2006. Accessed July 1, 2014.</ref>
====Minnesota Complaint====
In a February 7, 2007, complaint filed with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board by the Minnesota DFL Party<ref name="com">[http://www.cfboard.state.mn.us/bdinfo/investigation/070508_Stronger.pdf Findings and Order in the matter of the Complaint of the Minnesota DFL Party regarding A Stronger America - Minnesota. Summary of the Complaint and Responses,] Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board, May 7, 2007. Accessed July 1, 2014.</ref> "points out that two organizations exist with similar names: A Stronger America, an organization established under section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code ('the National Organization'), and A Stronger America – Minnesota ('ASA-MN' or 'the Committee'), the political committee registered with the Board. According to documents filed with the complaint, the two entities use the same mailing address, which is a private mailbox."
The Minnesota DFL pointed out that both organizations reported "some of the same contributions and expenditures on their reports even though" only ASA-MN was registered with the Board, particularly "a number of contributions received from corporations which are not disclosed on the ASA-MN report." The only reports considered were "year-end reports obtained by the Board for both entities."<ref name="com"/>
