Ethics panel reprimands Sen. Chaudhary

Sen. Satveer Chaudhary, one of Minnesota's leading legislators on outdoors issues, was publicly reprimanded by a Senate ethics panel on Wednesday for his actions in obtaining special fishing regulations for a lake on which he owns a cabin.

The four-member panel, in a rare rebuke of a sitting senator, unanimously agreed that Chaudhary violated "accepted norms of Senate behavior" and "threatened public confidence" in the Legislature when he asked a House member for a last-minute change to a fish and game bill.

The incident, which came in the waning days of the legislative session, triggered such a backlash of criticism that the three-term Fridley senator's political career appears in jeopardy.

"I think his case has been harmed," said William Krueger, the Senate District 50 DFL chair, reacting to the panel's decision. "I would be shocked if he doesn't get his endorsement taken away from him." DFLers in that district are set to meet at the end of June to make the decision.

Chaudhary faces a stiff primary challenge in August from former legislator Barb Goodwin, who succeeded Chaudhary in the House when he was elected to the Senate.

Chaudhary's problems began on May 12. That night, in an unusual move witnessed by dozens of legislators, he walked onto the House floor and asked Rep. David Dill, DFL-Crane Lake, the chief House author of the fish and game bill, to insert the special regulations for Fish Lake Reservoir in northeastern Minnesota. Chaudhary said he made the request because he thought an overwhelming majority of lake residents wanted it. Chaudhary later apologized to residents in a public meeting and said his action had been based on incorrect information.

No conflict of interest found

But in an hour-long back-and-forth with panel members, Chaudhary succeeded in pushing the panel to drop the more damaging language. The panel's final letter notes that Chaudhary had no conflict of interest.

Chaudhary seized on that finding afterward, saying: "I'm glad Republicans and Democrats [on the panel] unanimously agreed conservation is not a conflict of interest." Chaudhary, who chairs the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee, said: "Perhaps what I'm guilty of is being overzealous for the environment, and I need to curb my enthusiasm."

As the hearing neared its end, Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen, R-Alexandria, said he was left frustrated. "You still don't seem to understand that there's something broken here," he told Chaudhary, who sat at the opposite end of a long table at the State Capitol from the panel.

A lawyer for the Senate ethics panel said Wednesday that the committee could issue only a limited response because its powers are greatly reduced when the Legislature is not in session. The panel, he said, could give advice to Chaudhary regarding his conduct, but could not impose disciplinary action.

Chaudhary, who had called for Wednesday's meeting of the ethics panel, appeared eager to put the matter behind him. Krueger said Chaudhary had indicated to him that he might want to move up the meeting where DFLers will consider whether he can keep his endorsement.

'An error in process'

During the three-hour hearing, Chaudhary staunchly defended his actions as both he and the panel were surrounded by reporters and TV cameras in a Capitol hearing room. He said under oath that he had made "an error in process," adding that "I did the right thing, but in the wrong way."

Several panel members saw it differently.

"Without question, Senator Chaudhary betrayed the public's trust, and conduct like this is why the Legislature's approval ratings are so low," Ingebrigtsen said in a statement released following the hearing.

Sen. Linda Scheid, DFL-Brooklyn Park, agreed. "I think it betrays the public trust, a bit -- I think it does," she said. Another panel member, Sen. Dennis Frederickson, R-New Ulm, said Chaudhary should have done a better job of airing his proposed amendment in public -- and had ample time to do so -- before having it inserted in a bill just as it was being presented for a House vote.

Chaudhary and the panel also debated whether his actions played a major role in Gov. Tim Pawlenty's decision to veto the game and fish bill. The governor cited the Fish Lake Reservoir episode in his veto letter, but Chaudhary said Pawlenty made "only a vague reference" to the incident in his letter vetoing the bill.