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Stauber foe circulates false info

by Tom Coombe
A campaign flyer for Democratic Congressional candidate Jen Schultz, distributed in numerous mailboxes in the Ely area this week, falsely claimed that she was endorsed by the Ely Echo newspaper.
Numerous Ely area residents reported Tuesday that they received the mailing, which touted Schultz’s endorsement by the Forum Newspapers, and listed the Ely Echo along with several other regional publications..
The Echo is independently and locally owned and not part of the Forum group, which is based in Fargo, N.D. and owns the Duluth News-Tribune.
Schultz, responding to Echo inquiries on Wednesday, said campaign staff meant to identify another publication, the Echo Journal in the western part of the district, and called it “an honest mistake.”
The flyer lists the Echo as supporting Schultz, who is challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber (R) and includes various headlines including “We can’t trust Pete Stauber anymore” and “Pick Schultz in the 8th.”
In its 50 years of existence, the Echo has never endorsed candidates for political office, and publisher Nick Wognum said he was angered by the flyer and the erroneous claims.
“We don’t endorse candidates, period,” said Wognum. “We never have in my time with the paper and we don’t plan ever to. I don’t know how such a mistake could have been made by Jen Schultz and her campaign.”
The flyer was prepared and paid by the Jennifer Schultz Volunteer Committee.
Schultz said Wednesday that the flyer was distributed to 671 households.
The campaign corrected the mistake this week on its social media.
Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District spans from the Canadian border to west of Brainerd, to the northern Twin Cities suburbs.
Stauber is seeking his third term in office and is trying to hold off the challenge of Schlultz, a Duluth state legislator.

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