MPR: Attorney General Sues MPR

Attorney General Sues MPR
by Laura McCallum
December 28, 1999

The Minnesota attorney general's office is suing Minnesota Public Radio, alleging improper use of donor lists. The lawsuit claims MPR exchanges names with other organizations without full disclosure to its members. MPR says it will vigorously fight the lawsuit. The company says it has done nothing wrong and that its practices are in line with those of other nonprofits.

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See original story about donor lists.

See MPR response.

AG's Web site

Attorney General Mike Hatch says although MPR claims it only "occasionally" shares donor lists, in the past five years the company allowed more than 100 organizations to use its member information. Hatch also alleges that MPR wrongly claims it exchanges lists only with groups in which its members might be interested.

Hatch: And, in fact, what was going on is that these names were being distributed with no regard to anybody having an interest, they were being distributed for the purposes of raising money. And not being done so occasionally, but being done rather frequently. So it's a misleading practice.

And one Hatch says violates the Minnesota Charities Act, which prohibits charitable organizations from using deceptive fundraising practices. MPR denies the charges, and says it allows members to tell the company not to exchange their names with other groups. About 5,000 of MPR's 88,000 members have done so. Executive Vice President Tom Kigin says MPR follows the same procedures as virtually every other Minnesota nonprofit that raises money through mail-based campaigns.

Kigin: We believe that we meet or exceed the ethical standards of fundraising, and that we're in the company of the legitimate non-profit fundraising people. So why we would be singled out is beyond our own understanding.

Hatch says his office received complaints about MPR from several public officials and other media organizations. His investigation was specifically prompted by a request from two Republican lawmakers, State Representatives Phil Krinkie of Shoreview and Mike Osskopp of Lake City. They called for an investigation last summer, after at least two dozen public television stations admitted exchanging membership lists with political groups. At the time, MPR acknowledged purchasing lists from the Democratic National Committee and two other Democratic groups, but later said it would no longer buy lists from political organizations.

Krinkie says he's pleased that Hatch is taking action, but disappointed that the lawsuit doesn't address his concerns that MPR may have violated the Fair Campaign Practices Act, which prohibits nonprofits from contributing anything of value to political parties. Hatch says his office doesn't have jurisdiction over the act, and he doesn't believe MPR violated it. Krinkie says he'll pursue the matter with the Ramsey County attorney.

Krinkie: The key thing that I think Representative Osskopp and I would be looking for is, again, resolution. Now, just filing a lawsuit doesn't give us resolution, it just gives us another step in the process.

The lawsuit filed in Ramsey County District Court seeks unspecified civil penalties, and asks MPR to fully disclose its fundraising practices. MPR says its disclosure already conforms with state law.

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