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Capitol View®
Tom Scheck

MacDonald’s complaint against GOP dismissed

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An administrative law judge dismissed a complaint filed by Minnesota Supreme Court candidate Michelle MacDonald against the Minnesota Republican Party and several party leaders.

MacDonald filed the complaint accusing the party and its Chair Keith Downey of threatening her so she would drop her campaign and of disseminating false campaign materials about her.

But her allegations failed to sway a judge with the Office of Administrative Hearings.

Administrative Law Judge James LaFave said MacDonald “failed to identify any particular statement in the material that she maintains is false.” LaFave also said MacDonald failed to define how party leaders were violating the law by encouraging her to drop her campaign.

MacDonald has been at odds with Republican leaders after it came to light in June that she was arrested for drunken driving in 2013. MacDonald won the Republican Party endorsement in May.

Party leaders and several GOP candidates, including U.S. Senate candidate Mike McFadden and gubernatorial candidate Jeff Johnson, have said they no longer support her campaign.  She is challenging Associate Supreme Court Justice David Lillehaug in November.

MacDonald’s court date for her drunken driving arrest is Sept. 15.

Here's the order: