Minnesota Supreme Court Issues Unanimous Opinion on Frivolous Suit Against Gutknecht

Walz supporters' attempts to keep Gutknecht off ballot failed

9.29.2006

Rochester, Minn. - The Minnesota Supreme Court issued its opinion on the DFL lawsuit that attempted to keep Congressman Gil Gutknecht off the ballot. Arguments in the case were heard in August. The unanimous decision was issued on Thursday.

The frivolous lawsuit brought by DFL challenger Tim Walz's supporters Lewis Reiter and Twin Cities-based attorney Alan Weinblatt, one of Walz's top contributors, was summarily dismissed.

"We knew from the start that this was nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt by DFL activists to keep Congressman Gil Gutknecht off the ballot," said Gutknecht for Congress spokesman Bryan Anderson. "It appears that the Supreme Court thinks so, too. And now we're seeing, by all measures, that Congressman Gutknecht is poised to be the people's choice yet again."

In issuing its opinion, the Justice Alan Page on behalf of the whole court wrote, "Had the legislature intended to limit the period during which the
signatures on a petition in place of the filing fee could be obtained, it would
have expressly done so. Motion to dismiss petition granted; petition denied."

The opinion can be read by visiting: http://www.courts.state.mn.us/opinions/sc/current/OPA061508-0928.htm

Gutknecht was first elected in 1994. He is a member of the House Agriculture, Government Reform and Science Committees. He serves as chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Dairy, Nutrition, and Forestry.