Category 2020 Elections

Thissen defeats MacDonald for MN Supreme Court

November 4, 2020 Comments Off read 2020 Elections, Michelle MacDonald

Michelle MacDonald, who was labeled a “person of interest” in the disappearance of missing children and is facing discipline by the Minnesota Supreme Court, was defeated by Associate Justice Paul Thissen in her fourth campaign for the Minnesota Supreme Court.

Thissen is leading with nearly 60 percent of the vote against MacDonald, based on initial election results. He declared victory today over MacDonald, noting that he won 84 of 87 counties in Minnesota.

MacDonald was an unsuccessful candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2014, 2016, and 2018. In total, over 4.5 million votes have been cast against MacDonald during her failed campaigns for the Minnesota Supreme Court. Continue reading →

Former MN Supreme Court Justice: MacDonald is “unfit for the office”

October 29, 2020 Comments Off read 2020 Elections, Analysis, Michelle MacDonald

Michelle MacDonald, who is a candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court, is “unfit for office” according to former Associate Justice David Lillehaug, who defeated MacDonald when she ran against him for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2014.

Former Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court David Lillehaug.

MacDonald is currently running for the Minnesota Supreme Court against Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Paul Thissen, who was appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2018. She was also an unsuccessful candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2016 and 2018.

In a letter to the editor published today by the Star Tribune, Lillehaug wrote:

Based on my two years on the court with Justice Thissen, I can attest that he is thoughtful and ethical, works hard and reads our laws as written. By contrast, based on her record, [Michelle MacDonald] is plainly unfit for the office.

Lillehaug retired from the Minnesota Supreme Court on July 31, 2020.

MacDonald is currently facing discipline from the Minnesota Supreme Court that could impact her ability to serve on the court if she was elected next week.

Earlier this month, a judicial referee appointed by the Minnesota Supreme Court determined MacDonald “caused harm to both the public and legal profession” that warrant MacDonald being placed on supervised probation.

Senior Judge E. Anne McKinsey was appointed in June by Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea as the referee to hear the petition for disciplinary action against MacDonald. McKinsey’s recommendation that MacDonald is placed on supervised probation was made in a court filing yesterday after a disciplinary hearing which was held last month. Continue reading →

Michelle MacDonald ’caused harm to both the public and legal profession’

October 21, 2020 Comments Off read 2020 Elections, Legal Developments, Michelle MacDonald, Missing in Minnesota, The Girls Are Gone

A judicial referee appointed by the Minnesota Supreme Court has determined that Michelle MacDonald, who is a candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court, “caused harm to both the public and legal profession” that warrant MacDonald being placed on supervised probation.

In March, the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility petitioned the Minnesota Supreme Court to discipline MacDonald after determining that she violated the Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct governing licensed attorneys and the conditions of her probation by which she could practice law.

The petition was filed after the completion of a 21-month investigation into MacDonald, which began after Michael Brodkorb and Allison Mann filed a formal complaint with the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility in June 2018 in response to MacDonald filing a lawsuit against Brodkorb and Missing in Minnesota. The lawsuit filed by MacDonald was dismissed in March 2019 by a judge in Ramsey County.

The Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility requested the suspension of MacDonald’s law license for a minimum of 90 days. They have 14 days to contest the disciplinary recommendations from Judge McKinsey. Continue reading →

Lawyers board: Suspend MacDonald’s law license

September 30, 2020 Comments Off read 2020 Elections, Legal Developments, Michelle MacDonald

The Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility is requesting that Michelle MacDonald, who is a candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court, “be suspended from the practice of law for a minimum of 90 days as a sanction for her misconduct.“

The request to suspend MacDonald’s law license was made in a court filing by the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility in response to a disciplinary hearing which was held earlier this month.

Senior Judge E. Anne McKinsey was appointed by Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea as the referee to hear the petition for disciplinary action against MacDonald. McKinsey is scheduled to release her findings and recommendations for discipline against MacDonald by October 20, 2020.

According to the brief filed last week, MacDonald “violated Rule 3.1, MRPC” when she filed her “factually frivolous defamation lawsuit” against Brodkorb and Missing in Minnesota. The brief is damning and details numerous violations by MacDonald of the rules governing licensed attorneys in Minnesota.

The filing from the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility validates the work of Brodkorh and Missing in Minnesota in reporting about Michelle MacDonald, as one of the reasons they want her suspended is because she filed “a factually frivolous lawsuit against a local journalist [Brodkorb], which was dismissed after over a year of costly litigation.”

Continue reading →

MacDonald asks Trump to nominate her to replace RGB

September 20, 2020 Comments Off read 2020 Elections, Michelle MacDonald

Michelle MacDonald, who was labeled a “person of interest” in the disappearance of missing children, and is facing discipline for multiple violations of the rules governing licensed attorneys, asked President Donald Trump to nominate her to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died Friday.

MacDonald made her request to Trump on social media that she be nominated to fill the seat of Ginsburg on the US Supreme Court less than 24 hours after Ginsburg’s death was first reported.

The shocking plea from MacDonald to be nominated to the US Supreme Court came days after a disciplinary hearing was held on the petition from the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility which details 14 violations by MacDonald of the Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct governing licensed attorneys and 7 violations of her probation by which she can practice law in Minnesota. Continue reading →

MacDonald’s testimony refutes claims made in her lawsuit

September 17, 2020 Comments Off read 2020 Elections, Legal Developments, Michelle MacDonald

Michelle MacDonald’s testimony during a disciplinary hearing yesterday validated the claims made by the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility that she filed a “factually false defamation lawsuit” against Michael Brodkorb and Missing in Minnesota.

In March, the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility petitioned the Minnesota Supreme Court to discipline Michelle MacDonald after determining MacDonald violated the conditions of her probation by which she can practice law and the Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct governing licensed attorneys.

Senior Judge E. Anne McKinsey was appointed in June by Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea as the referee to hear the petition for disciplinary action against MacDonald.

During the nearly 8-hour hearing, which was live-streamed by the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility, MacDonald’s own testimony refuted many of the claims she made in her lawsuit against Brodkorb and Missing in Minnesota. Continue reading →

Live-stream: MacDonald’s disciplinary hearing

September 16, 2020 Comments Off read 2020 Elections, Legal Developments, Michelle MacDonald

The Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility is live-streaming Michelle MacDonald’s disciplinary hearing which starts at 9 AM.

Click here for a link to the live-stream of today’s hearing.

MacDonald is running against Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Paul Thissen, who was appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2018.

Both Brodkorb and Mann have been subpoenaed by the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility to testify at the hearing.

In total, the petition from the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility details 14 violations by MacDonald of the Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct governing licensed attorneys and 7 violations of her probation by which she can practice law in Minnesota.

Please check back to Missing in Minnesota for updates on MacDonald’s disciplinary hearing.

MacDonald’s disciplinary hearing scheduled for Wednesday

September 10, 2020 Comments Off read 2020 Elections, Legal Developments, Michelle MacDonald

A court hearing will be held next Wednesday on the petition for disciplinary action filed by the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility against Michelle MacDonald, who is a candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court.

The hearing is scheduled for September 16, 2020, at 9 AM and will be conducted online through Zoom because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senior Judge E. Anne McKinsey was appointed in June by Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea as the referee to hear the petition for disciplinary action against MacDonald.

Both Brodkorb and Mann have been subpoenaed by the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility to testify at the hearing.

Poll shows Thissen with a massive lead over MacDonald

September 7, 2020 Comments Off read 2020 Elections, Analysis, Michelle MacDonald

Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Paul Thissen has a massive lead over his opponent for a seat on the Minnesota Supreme Court, Michelle MacDonald, according to a poll of members of the Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA).

The poll released last week shows Thissen with the support of over 91 percent of members of the MSBA, while MacDonald had the support of less than 9 percent of the membership.

Thissen received 91.18% (1840 votes) and MacDonald received 8.82% (178 votes) of the 2,018 total votes cast by members of the MSBA in an online poll.

The results of the poll from the MSBA, which was founded in 1883 and is the oldest professional association for attorneys in Minnesota, shows MacDonald is facing an uphill battle in her campaign to against Thissen.

MacDonald was an unsuccessful candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2014, 2016, and 2018. Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Paul Thissen was appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2018.

According to their website, the MSBA “promotes the highest standards of excellence and inclusion within the legal profession, provides valued resources to its members, and strives to improve the law and the equal administration of justice for all.” Continue reading →

MacDonald’s campaign reports riddled with problems

August 6, 2020 Comments Off read 2020 Elections, Michelle MacDonald

The campaign finance reports filed by Michelle MacDonald’s campaign committee over the past few months fail to disclose contributor information, detail questionable spending, and improperly hide the massive debt owed by her campaign.

MacDonald is running against Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Paul Thissen, who was appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2018. In July, MacDonald’s campaign committee reported raising only $410 – from two donors – since she announced her fourth campaign for the Minnesota Supreme Court last December.

MacDonald was an unsuccessful candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2014, 2016, and 2018. Continue reading →

Michelle MacDonald’s campaign only raises $410

August 4, 2020 Comments Off read 2020 Elections, Michelle MacDonald

Michelle MacDonald’s fourth attempt to get elected to the Minnesota Supreme Court isn’t gaining support with donors, as MacDonald’s campaign reported raising only $410 from two donors since announcing her campaign last December.

MacDonald is running against Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Paul Thissen, who was appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2018.

Thissen’s campaign reported raising $68,742.91 since January and has a massive financial advantage over MacDonald’s campaign. Thissen’s campaign reported a cash-on-hand total of $62,578.08 on July 20, 2020, while MacDonald’s campaign reported having only $3,779.11. Continue reading →

MacDonald falsely claims GOP campaign endorsement

June 4, 2020 Comments Off read 2020 Elections, Analysis, Michelle MacDonald

Michelle MacDonald, who is running for the Minnesota Supreme Court, is falsely claiming her current campaign was endorsed “at the Republican convention.”

Continue reading →

MacDonald files to run for the Minnesota Supreme Court

June 1, 2020 Comments Off read 2020 Elections, Analysis, Michelle MacDonald

Michelle MacDonald, who was labeled a “person of interest” in the disappearance of missing children, and is facing discipline for multiple violations of the rules governing licensed attorneys, filed today to run for the Minnesota Supreme Court.

MacDonald was an unsuccessful candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2014, 2016, and 2018. In December, MacDonald started her fourth campaign for the Minnesota Supreme Court. Despite MacDonald facing serious discipline and the likely suspension of her law license, MacDonald can still run for the Minnesota Supreme Court. Continue reading →

MacDonald begins fourth campaign for MN Supreme Court

December 12, 2019 Comments Off read 2020 Elections, Legal Developments, Michelle MacDonald

UPDATE (4:04 PM, Friday, December 13, 2019) – This story has been updated to include confirmation from Justice Paul Thissen’s campaign that he will stand for election to the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2020.

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Michelle MacDonald launched her candidacy today for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2020, just hours after her attorney argued in court that she wasn’t a public figure because she wasn’t a candidate for public office.

During oral arguments at the Minnesota Court of Appeals MacDonald’s attorney, Karlowba R. Adams Powell, told the three judges who were hearing MacDonald’s appeal that since MacDonald was not a candidate for office, she was not a public figure.

But within hours after the hearing ended, MacDonald’s Twitter profile was updated to encourage people to “Vote for Michelle MacDonald for Justice in 2020…”

UPDATE: During today’s oral arguments, Michelle MacDonald’s attorney argued she was a public figure and wasn’t running for office. In the time since the hearing ended at 10:45 AM, MacDonald’s Twitter profile was updated to reflect she is running for the MN Supreme Court in 2020. pic.twitter.com/xPmhJVlqg0

— Michael Brodkorb (@mbrodkorb) December 12, 2019

This is MacDonald’s fourth campaign for the Minnesota Supreme Court. MacDonald was an unsuccessful candidate in 2018, having previously lost two bids for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2014 and 2016. Since 2014, MacDonald has maintained an active campaign committee and website to promote her candidacy.

Today’s activity by MacDonald on social media is the first public campaigning she has specifically done for her fourth campaign for the Minnesota Supreme Court since announcing in July through an unrelated lawsuit that she planned to run for office “in 2020 and in the future.”

MacDonald will likely face Justice Paul Thissen, who was appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2018. Thissen has not made a formal announcement that he will seek election to the Minnesota Supreme Court, but a representative of his campaign committee confirmed on Friday he will run for election in 2020. Continue reading →

MacDonald announces plans to run for office in 2020

July 24, 2019 Comments Off read 2020 Elections, Michelle MacDonald

Michelle MacDonald, who was labeled a “person of interest” in the disappearance of missing children and is currently under investigation by the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility, announced today – in a lawsuit – that she “plans to run for office in 2020 and in the future.”

The news about MacDonald’s intention to seek public office in 2020 was buried in a 379-page lawsuit by MacDonald and other Minnesota Republicans challenging the constitutionality of a Minnesota law regarding endorsements for public office.

MacDonald was an unsuccessful candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2018, having previously lost two bids for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2014 and 2016. One week after losing her third campaign for the Minnesota Supreme Court, MacDonald refused to rule out the possibility of running again in 2020. Continue reading →