Judge admonishes Lazzaro over juror contact scheme

Minnesota’s chief federal judge Patrick Schiltz issued a sharply worded order Thursday admonishing convicted GOP operative Anton “Tony” Lazzaro over an alleged effort to “deceive and bribe” a former juror via a fake survey offering gift cards, and barred Lazzaro or anyone on his behalf from contacting jurors without court permission. The survey, titled “Gopher Women’s Institute 2025 Study,” asked sensitive questions about sexual abuse and was used to support Lazzaro’s bid for a new trial; prosecutors argue a juror’s answers could have changed over time, while defense claims the responses show dishonesty on the original juror questionnaire.