In a striking ruling, Minnesota State Sen. Omar Fateh’s Minneapolis mayoral campaign has been hit with a $500 fine for using campaign materials that falsely claimed DFL endorsement after the party withdrew its support, as KSTP reports.

In a nutshell, Fateh’s campaign was penalized for distributing outdated materials claiming DFL backing post-revocation, despite corrective efforts, leading to a violation of Minnesota campaign law as determined by an administrative court.

The saga began on July 19 when Fateh secured the mayoral endorsement at the Minneapolis DFL Convention. This endorsement positioned him as a favored candidate among party supporters.

Unexpected twist in endorsement status

However, on Aug. 21, the Minneapolis DFL party rescinded its endorsement after uncovering irregularities in the balloting process. This revocation meant Fateh could no longer claim official party support in his campaign.

Despite this change, volunteers and surrogates for Fateh’s campaign continued to hand out literature featuring the DFL endorsement logo until Aug. 26. This delay in updating materials raised concerns about misleading voters.

On Aug. 26, a chief political officer from the DFL directed the campaign to halt the use of the endorsement in its materials. According to the court ruling, the officer urged them to “make all reasonable efforts to stop using its endorsement on … campaign material.”

Campaign’s delayed response sparks criticism

Only after receiving this directive did Fateh’s team start to obscure references to the DFL endorsement on their literature. They began using blackouts on existing flyers to cover outdated claims.

Co-campaign manager Graham Faulkner testified that they quickly requested their graphic designer to produce corrective stickers and updated yard signs within days of the Aug. 21 revocation. New literature was also ordered to reflect the current status.

However, the campaign’s website lagged in updates, with a photo of Fateh beside an outdated yard sign remaining online until Aug. 29. Co-campaign manager Akhilesh Menawat called this delay “an oversight” during his testimony.

Court ruling highlights legal obligations

The administrative court panel delivered its verdict on Thursday, finding that the continued use of old materials breached Minnesota law. This law prohibits candidates from falsely claiming support from a major political party or organization.

The judges noted that the campaign’s actions stemmed from convenience rather than intentional deceit. They described the behavior as “negligent, ill-advised, and ill-considered” in their ruling.

Further, the court emphasized that operational challenges do not justify legal noncompliance. They stated, “No matter how disruptive it would have been to cease using campaign material designed and ordered in good faith in the middle of a campaign, inconvenience does not excuse failure to follow the law.”

Minimal impact, but significant consequences

Despite the violation, the judges assessed that the impact of the outdated materials was minimal and easily addressed. They acknowledged the campaign’s eventual efforts to rectify the situation.

Faulkner, in a public statement, highlighted their prompt response, saying, “The court’s ruling reflects that our campaign immediately took corrective measures to ensure that voters had the most accurate information possible -- as soon as possible.”

He also expressed determination to move forward, adding, “We will continue to reach voters to win this November, and we will not be distracted by attempts from our opponents to tie up our time and resources in the courts, especially during such a crucial election for the voters and communities of Minneapolis.”