Thanks to recent Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, the check really is in the mail for Minnesota counties waiting to get repaid for their recount expenses.
When Emmer heard that around 20 counties were still waiting for the state Republican Party to reimburse them, he contacted the county auditors directly and sent them checks from the balance in the Tom Emmer for Governor campaign fund – about $20,000 to $25,000, he estimated.
“This is not my responsibility, but I feel it’s my obligation,” he said.
Emmer said he was startled to learn that the counties were still waiting for reimbursements almost six months after the recount was finalized. The invoices for such services as copying costs and requests for information had gone to the Republican Party which, like the DFL, is stretched financially after the 2010 election expenses.
“It caught me a little off guard and so I started calling some of them,” he said. “It allowed me to help the party. It allowed me to call these folks to say thank you.”
Minnesota GOP Chair Tony Sutton said he had not heard directly from Emmer about this move but said, “I’m going to call him right now and we can compare notes” about which, if any, counties still have unpaid bills.
The county auditors did seem a little surprised to have Emmer on the other end of the line, he acknowledged (“I would just call and ask if they had an outstanding bill”), but they were grateful for the thanks and the money.
Full Article: MinnPost – Cyndy Brucato: Emmer sends checks from campaign fund to reimburse counties for recount expenses.