The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party sued St. Louis County on Tuesday seeking the release of e-mails that Pete Stauber, the Republican candidate for Congress in the Eighth Congressional District, wrote from his county address to a Washington-based political group.
Stauber is a St. Louis County commissioner who used his county e-mail to communicate with operatives at the National Republican Congressional Committee. Stauber's opponent is Democrat Joe Radinovich, a former one-term state legislator.
"The public has the right to know what is in the e-mails Pete Stauber sent from his taxpayer funded county e-mail account while he was on county time," said Corey Day, the executive director of the DFL, in a statement.
The party has requested an expedited hearing for Friday.
The county has refused to turn over the e-mails after a public records request from the Star Tribune, despite an advisory opinion from a state agency that said the e-mails should be turned over in compliance with public records law.
Dana Kazel, a spokeswoman for St. Louis County, said in an e-mail, "Our response will be shared through the courts. We have no other comment on this pending litigation."
Caroline Tarwid, a spokeswoman for Stauber, said, "It's not surprising [Radinovich] and his DFL friends are playing politics. We leave these decisions up to the county, which already cleared Pete Stauber of any wrongdoing."
The Star Tribune, which sought the advisory opinion from the Minnesota Department of Administration, is also considering litigation to obtain the e-mails.
Stauber and Radinovich are in a tight race to replace U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan, a Democrat who announced his retirement from Congress. Stauber, a retired police officer, is thought to be one of the Republicans' best chances to pick up a seat. A political action committee with ties to President Donald Trump recently announced it will buy $1 million worth of TV advertising to help Stauber.
