Minnesota's legislative auditor weighed in Tuesday on whether members of the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) have a conflict of interest if they're also registered lobbyists.
The report concludes that the potential for conflict depends on "who the commissioner represents as a lobbyist and how a particular issue might affect both the lobbyist's client and [the] MAC."
The 15-member commission owns and operates Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and six smaller metro-area airports. The majority of its members are appointed by the governor.
The report specifically highlighted the work of MAC Commissioner Michael Madigan, a lobbyist for the Minnesota Beer Wholesalers Association, and, to a lesser degree, Commissioner Richard Ginsberg, a lobbyist for several businesses and organizations.
Madigan has been on the MAC since 2011; Ginsberg joined in 2016. Gov. Mark Dayton appointed them both. Members of the commission are required to follow state ethics laws.
Rep. Jim Nash, R-Waconia, asked the legislative auditor to assess whether Madigan lobbied against a bill that affects the MAC and beer wholesalers. From the outset, Madigan maintained he had little, if any, involvement with the bill.
"We did not find evidence that Mr. Madigan lobbied legislators on the bill," the auditors said, concluding that no ethical violations were found.
Rep. Joe Hoppe, R-Chaska, introduced a bill in the 2017 session that would permit Minnesota brew pubs to sell their beers and ales to a retailer at a MAC facility without using a wholesaler. The bill did not gain any traction, but the auditor's report said the House could reconsider it next year.
