Judge dismisses complaint over St. Paul ‘Vote Yes’ mailer
An administrative law judge with the Minnesota Court of Administrative Hearings rejected an Oct. 27 complaint by Peter Butler against Rick Varco, treasurer of the 'Vote Yes for a Fairer St. Paul' campaign, alleging a false claim of St. Paul DFL support on a charter‑amendment mailer. Judge James LaFave found no prima facie evidence that Varco made or disseminated the allegedly false statement, and noted the complaint did not tie him to creating the mailer’s content; a separate Sept. 28 meeting convened by the Ramsey County DFL backed both the school levy and administrative‑citations charter question.
📌 Key Facts
- Judge James LaFave (Minnesota Court of Administrative Hearings) dismissed the complaint for lack of prima facie evidence
- Complaint alleged a false claim that the St. Paul DFL supported a 'yes' vote on an administrative‑citations charter amendment
- Ruling emphasized the complaint did not allege Varco had a direct role in preparing or distributing the mailer
- Ramsey County DFL gathered St. Paul DFL senate‑district members on Sept. 28 to endorse both ballot questions