A second GOP state legislator, Rep. Bryan Lawrence, was aware of Rep. Dotseth’s arrest for domestic violence
ST PAUL – Today, Minnesota DFL Chair Ken Martin released the following statement reacting to new reporting that a second Minnesota GOP legislator – Rep. Bryan Lawrence (R-Princeton) – was aware of Jeff Dotseth’s arrest for domestic assault years before it was made public to the voters. Court documents show that now-Rep. Lawrence was on Dotseth’s witness list for a potential trial, which Dotseth avoided through a plea agreement.
DFL Chair Ken Martin: “The alarming revelation that another Republican in the legislature was on Jeff Dotseth’s witness list for a potential trial in his domestic violence case demands answers from Leader Demuth and the House Republican Caucus. We now know that multiple GOP legislators knew about Rep. Dotseth’s case years before it was made public to the voters.
Rep. Lawrence owes the public answers about why he was on Dotseth’s witness list, what Dotseth told him about that night, and whether he was prepared to defend Dotseth’s character in court. Leader Demuth and House Republicans owe Minnesotans answers about whether they plan to apply a different standard to Rep. Dotseth than the one they have applied to other legislators in identical scenarios.”
From the article: “Lawrence didn’t directly respond to the St. Cloud Times’ interview request to see how his name ended up on the witness list and what his testimony would have looked like if the case had gone to trial. Instead, a Minnesota House Republican Caucus staffer responded, saying Lawrence would only consider an off-the-record conversation.”
