Gulleson Can’t Make Up Her Mind When It Comes To Accusing Her Opponent Of A Crime
Liberal House candidate Pam Gulleson just sent out a very confusing press release.
The headline of the press release is, “Gulleson Asks Cramer About Illegal Contributions, Lawsuit.”
But then, in the body of the press release, Gulleson stops short of actually calling the contributions illegal.
You can read the full release below.
What’s really troubling about this is that the contributions clearly are not illegal. Gulleson’s friends in the far-left environmentalist movement filed a complaint with the Obama administration over the contributions in question last year, and the Obama administration dismissed the allegations. This group, the Dakota Resource Council, has now filed a lawsuit against Cramer and fellow Public Service Commissioner Brian Kalk which asks the federal government to remove North Dakota’s right to regulate surface mining (which is no, doubt, the real motivation of the lawsuit rather than ethics).
Nor is this the only state where groups like the DRC and the Sierra Club have done this. In fact, the Interstate Mining Compact Commission (IMCC), which is a group of states who together have won the right to local control over mining, is convening a meeting to discuss lawsuits filed by the Sierra Club and other groups in multiple states seeking to remove that local control.
Yet, Gulleson demands that the State of North Dakota not defend itself and its right to local control in the lawsuit against Kalk and Cramer. Which makes Gulleson complicit in the goals of these far-left environmental extremists, partnering with them and their agenda over the best interests of North Dakota.
You really have to admire the political maneuvering going on here. Not only does Gulleson get to use the lawsuit as a handy tool with which to smear her opponent, but she gets to subtly support her far-left friend in their move to strip the states of their environmental authority.
All under the guise of “ethics.”
What’s scary is how little respect people like Gulleson have for the concept of the consent of the governed. Of course those who are regulated should get a say in who regulates them. Just as the environmental activists get to have a say as well. But for some reason, Gulleson thinks that sort of democracy is “unethical.”
Tags: Kevin Cramer, North Dakota News, pam gullesonFARGO, ND – U.S. House Candidate Pam Gulleson held a press conference today in Fargo to address the potentially illegal contributions that her opponent Kevin Cramer received as Public Service Commissioner. Gulleson also posed a series of questions to her opponent. Gulleson pointed out that the actions of Public Service Commissioners Cramer and Brian Kalk are responsible for the current lawsuit, and the reason behind the state’s decision to hire an expensive outside law firm.
“It’s clear that my opponent, Kevin Cramer, has made ethically questionable, if not illegal, decisions while serving North Dakota in a regulatory capacity. He has flaunted the state’s bribery statute. He has betrayed the public’s trust. And I think that when North Dakota’s voters go to the polls in November, they deserve to have some answers,” said Gulleson.
Gulleson asked how much taxpayers are estimated to spend on defending Kalk and Cramer in this case, and why Attorney General chose to hire an expensive, out-of-state law firm to represent the Public Service Commission. She asked why the state was paying to defend Kalk and Cramer’s actions in taking campaign donations from regulated interests, and why didn’t the Attorney General simply ask them to return the illicit funds.
For a full list of the questions Gulleson posed, see the attached document.
“My final questions concern the basic personal political choices made by Kevin Cramer. I have to ask Kevin Cramer – was it worth costing taxpayers thousands and thousands of dollars to defend your illegal actions?” asked Gulleson in closing.“Certainly, the answer is no,” she concluded. “Will you now return this money and thus end this ordeal – which puts North Dakota’s jurisdiction over coal mining and reclamation efforts in jeopardy? It’s time Commissioners Cramer and Kalk finally began to set an example of ethical conduct by public officials in this state.”
