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Capitol View®
Tim Pugmire

Report: Legislature should clarify political use of state plane

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A new report from the Minnesota  Legislative Auditor says the governor’s use of the state airplane for political travel should be specifically authorized or prohibited in state law, with a clear requirement for reimbursement.

The report released this morning came in response to a complaint from a Republican political organization. The Minnesota Jobs Coalition had questioned whether Gov. Mark Dayton should be able to use the airplane for trips that include political events. The governor’s campaign reimbursed the state for the trips in question.

In his report, Legislative Auditor James Nobles noted that state law currently provides the governor with a motor vehicle that can be used for all travel, including political events. But use of the state airplane is not currently addressed.

“If it is allowable for the governor to use a state airplane to travel to political events, that use should also be authorized in law, and the law should expressly require reimbursement from the appropriate political organization,” Nobles wrote.

Nobles pointed out that Minnesota Department of Transportation policy on state airplane use also does not answer the political question. Until there’s a change in law, Nobles is recommending that Gov. Dayton place strict limits on the use of the state airplane and that campaign staff be prevented from traveling on it.

Nobles also said Dayton violated state law in October 2012 when he allowed one of his campaign officials to fly with him on the state plane. Dayton’s chief of staff  Tina Smith said it was an error that won’t happen again.

Smith also assured Nobles that firm policies are already in place.

“The office intends to continue to require his political committee to pay its pro rata share of costs, when the governor’s plane trips combine political and official business,” Smith wrote. “If the governor travels by air solely for political purposes, his campaign will charter an airplane from a private charter service.”

The state Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board looked into the matter last year. The panel ruled that Dayton's disclosure violations were not intentional, were later corrected and did not merit a fine.