MNpublius.com

MNpublius has touched on this before: Norm Coleman’s relationship with Jeff Larson and FLS Connect is clearly unethical and smells of corruption.

Coleman uses FLS Connect, run by Jeff Larson, to run his Senate campaigns. Jeff Larson is part of Coleman’s “inner circle of advisors.” Over $1.5 Million have gone to FLS Connect and its sister company DCI Group from Coleman’s campaigns and his PAC. Coleman lives in Larson’s house. Coleman employed Larson’s wife. Coleman didn’t have a lease and did not pay utilities until it was investigated by the press. Even after the lease was signed, Coleman’s rate is significantly under market value. More importantly, Coleman’s rental unit shares an office which is used by FLS Connect. Unless he climbs through a window, Coleman literally walks through FLS Connect’s office to get to his bedroom.

FLS Connect has an interesting list of clients. It includes the United States Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB). Both groups are spending large amounts of money in the U.S. Senate race in Minnesota. all either in Coleman’s favor or against Al Franken. As the Nation states: (emphasis mine)

The fact that Coleman resides in the same home as Larson’s company has prompted questions about whether the Coleman campaign is coordinating campaign expenditures with Larson’s clients in violation of federal election law.

Says Franken spokeswoman Colleen Murray: “Norm Coleman literally lives in the office of the consulting firm for both the Chamber and the NFIB, so I’m not sure his claim of no coordination passes the laugh test. But sadly it’s not surprising - that kind of ethical lapse is business as usual for the Special Interest Senator.”

DFL Chair Brian Melendez just released an FEC complaint “charging illegal coordination between Senator Norm Coleman and ‘independent’ groups” two hours ago. More at Minnesota Independent and the Associated Press. MNpublius will post more as this story develops.