In Support of LWV Red Wing

The League of Women Voters of Minnesota fully supports LWV Red Wing in their response to a negative LTE written by state Senator Mike Goggin accusing the League of calling him a "traitor" and saying that he has said there was widespread voter fraud and the election was stolen.

LWV Red Wing did not call him a traitor or accuse him of making those statements. Rather, LWV Red Wing elevated the letter written by LWVMN on January 14, 2021, which identified Senator Goggin as one of the signatories on the December 10, 2020 letter written to the Texas Attorney General, asking to have Minnesota added to the list of states being sued by Texas for allegedly illegal voting practices. This letter stated, without factual basis and contrary to law, that "Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon knowingly and deliberately conducted an illegal election by virtue of his manipulation of the law." (Secretary Simon was acting in accordance to a consent decree order from a Minnesota state court. Under Minnesota Statute 204B.47, the Secretary of State must adopt new election procedures to comply with the order.) Senator Goggin acknowledges that he signed this letter. LWVMN likewise did not accuse Senator Goggin of being a traitor or saying that he has said there was widespread voter fraud or that the election was stolen.

However, LWVMN does note that the letter was part of a pattern of behavior promoting falsehoods about our elections that planted doubt and distrust into voters about the 2020 elections. This distrust led to violent acts such as the January 6 insurrection at our nation's Capitol. We join with LWV Red Wing asking all of our legislators to publicly disavow any further disinformation about our elections, to declare their support of the 2020 election outcomes, and to honor the integrity of our Minnesota election officials and voters.