To All State Delegates, BPOU and CD Officers,

I wanted to provide you an update on the situation you may have heard about regarding our
endorsed candidate for Minnesota Supreme Court, Michelle MacDonald.
Michelle MacDonald is our endorsed candidate. Period. Irrespective of the legitimate
concerns about the Judicial Elections Committee process, barring another state convention to
re-consider her endorsement, or a circumstance arising that would render her ineligible to
serve in the office, she is our endorsed candidate through the election.
Since her endorsement, however, new information about her legal and judicial philosophy
and personal legal issues have been disclosed which the delegates did not know about when
they voted for her endorsement. She also was charged with violating the terms of her limited
drivers license by driving for campaign purposes, wherein it was learned that she can only
drive for work, not her campaign.
In addition, her campaign has raised just $120 (not a typo) and has not signed up for data
center access, calling into question the seriousness of her campaign effort. Members of the
Executive Committee were concerned that she and her campaign team may use the
endorsement for their personal pursuits, which could harm other Republicans running for
office
Finally, attached below is a memo from a number of conservative lawyers describing
concerns that potentially could compromise her eligibility to serve as a judge.
With that as context, Michelle MacDonald sent out an email, without talking to the State Party,
stating that she would be at the state fair booth all day, every day. The State Party promotes
access for Republican candidates in the booth and pre-scheduling if possible, but after it
appeared to us that her intent was to use the state fair booth as a platform to air her issues,
along with statements from her campaign team that they intended to create a confrontation at
the booth if she was limited to a schedule for appearances, the State Executive Committee
revised our booth policy and in accord with the policy voted to restrict her from appearing at
our booth.
She and a few supporters did indeed create a confrontation at the booth three different
times. Conflict resolution specialists were on hand to politely keep her from staying, but the
situation and her currying of media attention created an unnecessary distraction from a fun
and well-planned state fair booth and our other statewide candidates on the first day of the
fair.

Unfortunately, this whole episode and her candidacy is undermining the conservative
argument for electing judges and judicial restraint, and is also calling into question the merit
of endorsing judicial candidates.
Our State Party constitution pledges our support of endorsed candidates, but there is no
explicit commitment of specific resources. The only explicitly defined supports are our data
center policy which guarantees list access to all endorsed candidates and Republicans on the
November ballot. And our state fair booth policy provides for candidate access to the booth
within certain parameters and grants to the State Executive Committee the ability to restrict a
candidates access under certain conditions.
Our job is to elect Republicans. It was the State Executive Committees decision that for the
good of ALL Republicans chances, including her own, not having her appear at the booth
was preferable.
The State Executive Committee has fulfilled its duty to maintain the endorsement of Michelle
MacDonald, do its utmost for the success of all our Republican candidates, promote and
protect the image of the party, and operate fully in accord with our constitution and our
adopted policies.
Thank you for all your hard work, and let's remain focused on serving the people of
Minnesota and winning in November!
Regards,





Keith


PS - Included here is the memo received August 22nd from a group of conservative lawyers:

To: The Executive Committee of the Republican Party of Minnesota
From: Kevin M. Magnuson, David W. Asp, Douglas P. Seaton, Harry Niska, R. Reid LeBeau
II, Todd R. Vollmers

We write to express our deep concern about the candidacy of Michelle MacDonald for
Minnesota Supreme Court Justice, and the public statements of some of her supporters who
have referred to themselves as members of the Judicial Election Committee (JEC) of the
2014 Republican State Convention. Some of our concerns are as follows:
MacDonalds lack of respect for law enforcement and the rule of law, both before and after
her endorsement, demonstrates that she is unfit to sit on our States highest court and that
her values and beliefs directly contradict those of the RPM and its members.
MacDonald faces a criminal trial set for September 15, 2014, for allegations of third-
degree refusal to take a sobriety test, fourth-degree DWI, and resisting arrest. According
to news reports, MacDonald told officers that she was a reserve cop and a lawyer. She
then allegedly began to physically resist the officers attempt to remove her from the
vehicle and place her under arrest. These facts will come out again in September, when
MacDonald faces trial. The trial obviously has the potential to create an unnecessary
distraction from the positions of all endorsed candidates.
MacDonald was cited by police this month for violating the terms of her limited drivers
license while campaigning. According to the Star Tribune, MacDonald told the officer she
was a licensed attorney and running for Supreme Court. She also [c]hanged story a
couple of time(s) then pleaded with [police officer] not to cite her.
These news reports show that MacDonald suggested that she should not be cited for
alleged violations based on her status as an attorney, reserve cop, or Supreme Court
candidate. If true, it was inappropriate for MacDonald to attempt to avoid charges by
suggesting that any of these roles would allow her to escape citation for legal violations.
More troubling, these news reports suggest that MacDonald if elected to any public
office may view herself as above the law.
MacDonalds public response to these charges also causes us concern. MacDonald has
brushed aside the charges calling them stupid and suggesting she should not have to
bother with them. They are serious charges and MacDonald should take them seriously.
Her attitude is not appropriate for a judicial candidate.
Based on her conduct to date, we believe that if MacDonald were actually elected to the
Court, MacDonald might be investigated by the Board of Judicial Standards pursuant to
Rule 2(C) of the Rules of Board on Judicial Standards (providing for the Boards
jurisdiction over conduct that occurred prior to a judge assuming judicial office) and Canon
1 of the Minnesota Code of Judicial Conduct (A judge shall avoid impropriety and the
appearance of impropriety.), Rule 1.1 (A judge shall comply with the law, including the
Code of Judicial Conduct.) and Rule 1.2 (A judge shall act at all times in a manner that
promotes public confidence in the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary,
and shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety.).
MacDonalds campaign for a seat on Minnesotas highest court, which centers around her
personal on-going efforts to defend herself against numerous civil and criminal charges,
and her assertions that our justice system is fundamentally unfair and abusive, not only
makes her subject to widespread derision, but unfairly exposes qualified Republican
candidates and the Party to be painted by the same brush.
MacDonalds behavior today where she intentionally created a public conflict and
dispute at the RPMs state fair booth shows that she lacks the appropriate temperament
to be a Supreme Court Justice and that she is willing to bring negative attention to the
party in order to pursue her own agenda.
We do not wish to undermine the power of the Partys endorsement. To the contrary, we urge
the Executive Committee to uphold its value by carefully reevaluating the Partys support for

MacDonalds candidacy for Minnesota Supreme Court Justice.



Prepared and Paid for by the Republican Party of Minnesota
Keith Downey, Chair
Not Authorized By Any Candidate or Candidate's Committee

2200 East Franklin Ave, Suite 201
Minneapolis, MN 55404
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