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Republicans Admit to Playing Politics with a Pandemic

09/11/2020

GOP Rep admits “COVID issues are not our winning message”

Today, during Minnesota’s 4th special legislative session, GOP Assistant Minority Leader Jon Koznick appeared to send an email intended for his GOP colleagues to House DFLers by mistake. In his email, Koznick said, in part:

a friendly, reminder (as discussed in caucus) to stay on message IF you speak today-
COVID issues are not our winning message. PUBLIC SAFETY is our ticket to the majority, let’s win with that.

Not only did Republicans admit they have nothing to say on the most important public safety issue of our time, COVID-19, they also appear to be using government resources to campaign.

DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin issued the following statement: 

“It’s appalling that, during a special legislative session to combat COVID-19, Republican leadership warned their lawmakers to avoid discussing the virus entirely because it was not a winning issue for them politically. Unfortunately, this behavior is not surprising since Republicans have spent the last half -year playing politics with this pandemic to win an election.

“Minnesota’s small business owners, teachers, nurses, and frontline workers cannot simply avoid the pandemic tearing through America, and it’s abhorrent that Republcian lawmakers are trying to do exactly that. This is partisan politics at its most disgraceful and shameless.”