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Ethics subcommittee: Sen. Ortman did not have a conflict of interest
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Minnesota bridges rated: An interactive map of bridges that are "structurally deficient," "functionally obsolete" or have gusset plates like those on the I-35W bridge.
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A Senate ethics subcommittee said today that Sen. Julianne Ortman did not have a conflict of interest for sponsoring legislation on home foreclosures and expunging criminal records while she served as a high-ranking official at the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office.
Ortman, a Republican from Chanhassen, said she had sought the opinion in order to clear up any doubts about her dual roles. Since last April, Ortman has served as the finance director for the sheriff's office.
"I don't believe there's a conflict of interest at all here," said Sen. James Metzen, DFL-South St. Paul, the subcommittee chair. The committee voted unanimously in ruling there was no conflict.
Speaking to reporters afterward, Ortman said she had also this year recused herself from voting on the establishment of a special fund for victims of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse because of her work with the sheriff's office involving the collapse. "I personally had a difficult time," she said of coping with the tragedy.
Ortman's job working for Hennepin County Sheriff Richard Stanek came under scrutiny last year when questions arose about how much time she was spending on each job, and whether the hours she devoted to them conflicted.
Mike Kaszuba • 612-673-4388
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