To the editor:

We like clean politics. We have laws to keep our politics clean, but laws only work if laws are followed. The Blue Earth County Republicans pay a mere $100/month to rent an office in the Mankato Place Mall. At the price of $8/square foot, the lower end of rent prices advertised for Mankato Place, $100/month only rents a 150 square foot office, roughly the size of a college dorm room. Visit the Mankato Place Mall or check out the Blue Earth County Republicans on Facebook; the office they rent is clearly larger than 150 square feet. The building is owned by a Republican supporter, but that isn’t the problem. The problem is the discounted rent is an in-kind donation and the Blue Earth Republicans have reported $0 in in-kind donations this election cycle.

While you may think “no big deal,” the office is unethical and against the law. We have already seen Representative Hagedorn mimic President Trump’s disdain for ethics and laws. Hagedorn is suffering from multiple layers of ethics violations revealed during just the past few weeks. Now our local Republican Party is showing their disdain for ethics and laws as well. Dirty politics are not Minnesotan. Remember this and cast your vote to clean up Southern Minnesota by voting blue.

Leah Hanson

North Mankato