The MNGOP State Central Committee meeting, taking place tomorrow (Saturday, December 14th) which will hold elections for party officer races including Chair, Deputy Chair, and Secretary. Action 4 Liberty has been at the forefront of reporting the corruption of the MNGOP and this has extended from exposing RINO party officer candidates to a Nominations Committee (NomCom) that appears to be doing failed Chair David Hann’s bidding. In essence, a NomCom is a group of party insiders who often think they know better than the average delegate and have the power to deem candidates “Qualified”, “Qualified with Reservations”, and “Unqualified”.

As we previously reported, Aaron Farris is an establishment puppet who was likely selected as Chair of the NomCom because he has proven that has zero principles and will do as he is told. His shameful reign as CD1 Chair includes the ousting of Patriot Wendy Phillips from her State Exec. Committee role because she provided herself as a neutral chair for Otter Tail’s 2024 BPOU Convention. As Hann’s CD1 do-boy, Farris forced her out; Interestingly, Deputy Chair candidate Kip Chrisitanson was a “Sergeant at Arms” at that meeting and helped kick out Wendy’s supporters. 

Now, rumors are speculating about how the NomCom will tilt the scale to help RINO David Hann maintain a position he has been a disaster at. Unconfirmed rumors say that Hann will be found “Qualified”, Mike Murphy and Alex Plechash will be found “Qualified with Reservations”, and Bret Bussman will be found “Disqualified” (a power the NomCom does not have) which means he would not have the right to speak at the Convention and compete for Chair. 

Bret Bussman had 42 signatures from State Central delegates in support of his campaign (needed 30) and completed all necessary paperwork in order to run but was stalled after Aaron Farris’ panties got tied in a knot over Bussman’s previous failure to turn in a cable tv box in 1984, which Aaron and the anti-liberty MNGOP lawyer Reid LeBeau somehow confused as a felony! As a result, Bussman’s interview with the NomCom was cancelled but was eventually held. In an email Aaron sent on December 8th, he seems to indicate that an “inappropriate breach” of personal information was sent to A4L. See below:

In an unexpected turn of events, Aaron Farris became the leaker himself! Aaron Farris, seemingly without the knowledge or consent of Bret Bussman, released the entire audio of Bussman’s NomCom interview on the CD1 GOP Youtube channel! Could Aaron be any more of a hypocrite? He is the reason that the names of the NomCom are publicly available, not Action 4 Liberty! See his email from yesterday (12/12/24 6:04PM) that leaked the audio below:

CD4 Chair Michelle Manke sounded wound up and emotional on the call as she nagged on about her distaste of Action 4 Liberty and how she was “PISSED” about information leaking! Manke should blame Aaron Farris for her tantrum being available publicly! She attempted to chastise Bussman for appearing on The Truth Hurts, even stating she would not do so herself, to which he stated that he would go on any program that allows him to push the Republican platform. Manke went on to claim that A4L blows everything out of proportion and spreads lies while providing zero examples. Action 4 Liberty exists because of RINOs and failed “leaders” like Manke who prefer social club politics over spearheading battles for liberty.

Aaron exposed the NomCom as the biased insiders some of them clearly are by releasing this full audio tape. Lukas Severson asked Bussman if he had volunteered at the A4L State Fair booth in 2022, as if helping a popular, anti-Tim Walz booth would be a bad thing! Obvious bias could also be found when Vicki Ernst asked Bret, in a desperate attempt to vilify the 1984 cable tv box debacle, if he had ever been charged with a crime or if he had been arrested in simple yes or no answers so that he couldn’t explain it. Of course she almost certainly was already aware of the circumstances and in turn looked petty and under-handed.

The tone and attitude of several NomCom members made it extremely clear that this was not a group of unbiased and neutral actors, instead it is a group of individuals with strong opinions and their own self-interests in the qualification status of party officer candidates.

One point of contention in the interview was between Bussman and Farris on whether Bret’s failure to disclose the cable tv box story on purpose or if done unintentionally. Bret contends in the interview that it was completely accidental. Farris alludes to some taped audio he has of Bret, suggesting that Bret stated on a previous call that he did not think the crime was relevant. This audio was never played and Bret stood by his claim that this was not intentionally left off of his application.

A point of interest for Action 4 Liberty was when Bussman distanced himself from A4L and stated that he had a conversation with A4L President Erik Mortensen about not being so much of a bomb-thrower and some stylistic concerns however Mortensen denies these conversations took place. Unfortunately for Bret, the only way to win in politics is to fight and this released audio makes that perfectly clear. We demand high expectations out of leaders and that will stand regardless of who wins on Saturday.

Action 4 Liberty is the leader for the conservative grassroots in the modern information war. While the Establishment exposes themselves as frauds with Aaron’s release of this audio, Action 4 Liberty will continue to stand where we’ve always stood. In case that isn’t clear, see a recent social media post of our’s that encapsulates this idea perfectly. See below:

In another strange update to provide you with is an email coming from DWI adulterer and left wing propagandist Michael Brodkorb who has endorsed Alex Plechash for MNGOP Chair. Two main theories emerge: 1. Brodkorb is attempting to trick delegates since his endorsement has a negative effect, making delegates believe Hann is more MAGA than Plechash or 2. Brodkorb actually prefers Plechash (which is not entirely unreasonable considering Plechash's anti-MAGA past). While some rumors connect Brodkorb to the MNGOP's mystery recipient of tens of thousands of dollars called 1972-10, it would seem obvious that his choice would be Hann. Of course, Brodkorb is savvy enough to know that attaching Kamala onto Plechash will hurt him but his intended confusion signifies the issues with current leadership options between Hann and Plechash. This could very well be a dirty attempt by Hann to muddy up the waters at the last minute. See email below:

Also, RNC Chair Michael Whatley has decided to endorse David Hann for reelection, proving that he may end up being no better than Ronna Romney McDaniel. Whatley also endorsed Plechash for RNC Committeeman over AK Kamara, proving that the RNC still favors establishment incumbents over new voices. Whatley has just made himself a major opponent of the liberty movement in Minnesota and it will not be forgotten. See endorsement below:

Donald Trump dominated the 2024 presidential election and dragged Republicans into majorities in the U.S. House & Senate, but what should concern Minnesota Republicans is who is in control of their own Republican Party - the MNGOP.

At this Saturday’s State Central Convention, control of the state party is on the line.  No doubt current chair, David Hann, is being recommended by the nomination committee without reservation, despite failing to deliver on his promises to win Minnesota’s 10 Electoral College votes for Trump, losing both CD2 & CD3 by double-digit margins, not flipping the MN House and not defending the GOP endorsed candidates in the August primaries.

Kip Christianson, candidate for MNGOP Deputy Chair and establishment operator, went on the Jack Tomczack Podcast December 8 singing the praises of Globilist RINO Tom Emmer saying, “The Tom Emmer Machine was instrumental in getting the party out of debt,” referring to securing President Trump as the keynote speaker at May’s Lincoln Reagan Dinner. 

Kip went on to say, “I believe convictedly that the most supportive thing I can do for Whip Emmer is build this party into something where we have a much more effective operation in the state. There at the same time there are people that do not want the party to be effective, that do not want that world to exist.”

Kip is unaffectionately referring to the CD2 delegation letting their displeasure known of Emmer’s meddling in the CD2 race at May’s State Convention. 

Emmer may be the whip in D.C., but he is not a part of CD2. Nor was his chosen candidate, Joe Teirab, who was crushed by Angie Craig by over 13 points after his loss in the CD2 endorsement to Tayler Rahm. Teirab refused to respect the party’s endorsement even after committing to do so, slapping CD2 delegates in the face. 

Kip even boldly referred to himself as being of the grassroots on Jack Tomczack’s podcast. Then in the next breath shames the activists from CD2 for standing up to Emmer.

If there is any hope for a true conservative party of Republicans in the state of Minnesota, it must be led by the most absolute grassroots candidates and supporters. 

The future of CD2’s next candidate is still up for grabs. Is there a low-profile military veteran quietly moving in to establish residency well in advance of the endorsement convention who quietly attends galas and fundraisers working the tables of establishment leadership?

If Emmer has anything to say about it, I’d bet the deals are already being made. And yet another reason why liberty lovers need to get involved NOW to protect the grassroots.

I often hear people talk about the need to heal (or unite) the Republican Party. That sounds great, but how is this possible? The Republican Party can only unite if we have the same agenda, the same goal, and the same vision, if not we will always be divided. Division (di-vision) is the result of having two-visions, which is where the Party is at. Below are the two separate and distinct visions that currently exists in the Republican Party.

GRASSROOT CONSERVATIVES

This faction of the Party is actually conservative, and their goal is to conserve the founding principles of limited government and Godly morals. They fight for lower taxes, fewer regulations, individual liberties, personal responsibility, traditional family values, and the sanctity of life. They also want to restore honesty and integrity in government and re-establish free and fair elections.

ESTABLISHMENT CLASS

This faction of the Party claims to be conservative, and they espouse the same values and principles, however they don’t fight for these things. The donor class bankrolls and controls the politicians, and the politicians fight to pass legislation that will benefit their donors. They’re not interested in restoring honesty and integrity in government because they themselves are corrupt. They deny that elections are stolen because they themselves are involved in stealing elections. This group would rather have a Democrat in office than a conservative Republican that threatens to expose the corruption and end the gravy train that they’ve been accustomed to. This faction of the Republican Party is more inline with their colleagues across aisle than they are with conservative grassroot Republicans; thus, the acronym R.I.N.O. Republican In Name Only is not merely an insulting slur, but it’s an accurate description of who these people are. You will know them by their fruit, not by who they claim to be!

This 2nd group, the establishment class, has an agenda that is antithetical to that of the grassroots conservatives, which makes it impossible to unify the two factions. The Establishment are much fewer in number, however many of them are in leadership. Therefore, the only solution is for the grassroots to remove the existing leaders and replace them with individuals who actually have a conservative vision for our state and our country.

Amos 3:3 Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?

The first one to go must be Chair David Hann who has divided our Party, disenfranchised grassroots Republicans, and silenced conservatives in Ottertail County and throughout the state of MN. He has repeatedly acted outside the Constitution of the State Party and the rules and regulations that govern the Party. There is a long train of abuse and usurpations that Hann has engaged in. It has been absolute despotism with him at the helm of the Party. It is the duty of the Mn State Central delegates to throw off such tyrannical governance and select a new leader. It is abundantly clear that Hann has no interest in seeing truth, justice, or transparency prevail. The history of his leadership is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, you have reigned with absolute Tyranny over the delegates. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to Republicans across MN:

It is the Party (not you) who retains the complete and total right and control of which entities it recognizes as the official political subdivision of the Republican Party of Minnesota. You "David Hann" are not "The Party", and you are not the final arbiter. The State delegates, whom you silenced at the most recent State convention, are the highest authority in the Party. Had you, and the tyrants who ran the State Convention, allowed the delegates to vote they would have chosen the 2024 OTC delegates as the legitimate subdivision. You handpicked the chair and the parliamentary to run roughshod over the delegates at the State Convention.

It is the responsibility of the MNGOP Chair to make sure the people across the State of Minnesota, who embrace the platform of the Republican Party, have a voice in the direction of the Party, and in the choosing of candidates for endorsement. Chair Hann has become destructive of these ends. It is time for him to be removed as chair of the Republican Party of MN.

Hann has worked alongside the Leadership of the Otter Tail County BPOU.

In 2022 he turned a blind eye to the fact that the OTC leadership added several unelected delegates and alternates after caucus night to empower themselves, and to procure the endorsement for their chosen candidate. He helped the OTC BPOU cover up their nefarious actions. In the process you have disenfranchised hundreds of Republican supporters in OTC.

In 2023 he helped the OTC Leadership unlawfully suspend several duly elected delegates and alternates. He worked with the local BPOU to once again disenfranchise grassroot Republicans by preventing them from participating in the annual BPOU Convention.

In 2024 he worked with the OTC Executive Committee in planning and strategizing a covert operation to make sure the 2024 OTC Caucus would not be accepted. Both he and the OTC leadership knew the establishment would be severely outnumbered, which is why an elaborate scheme was planned to sabotage the Caucus proceedings in order to maintain power.

"In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the Chair of the Republican Party."

The anti-grassroots “leadership” of the MNGOP, including RINO Chair David Hann, has been a complete failure that has kept Republicans divided by giving preferential treatment and support to the Establishment. The “party of election integrity” is prone to its own manipulation and corruption at various levels. Currently, we look at the Nominations Committee and their attempts to tilt the scale for incumbent RINO David Hann.

The MNGOP State Central Committee will meet on Saturday, Dec. 14th to conduct party business, most notably they will hold elections for Chair, Deputy Chair, and Secretary. The intra-party battles that will ensue at this meeting will have serious consequences for the direction of the party. Will the MNGOP continue to disenfranchise delegates, support unendorsed RINOs, rig endorsing conventions, divide the Republican base, and abandon conservative principles or will State Central delegates chart a new path forward for the MNGOP? That is to be seen.

Our previous reporting highlighted David Hann backstabbing Donna Bergstrom by promising her that he would support her for Deputy Chair, only for him to endorse shady political operative Kip Christianson instead. Out of desperation, Hann struck a deal with Kip so they would not run against each other. In a painfully awkward, cringy, and phony video posted by Kip, he confirms his thoughts about running against Hann but instead chose to form a “unity ticket” with him. This backroom deal led to Walter Hudson dropping out of the Deputy Chair race and immediately endorsing the Hann/Kip ticket.

The number of candidates for each party officer race has dwindled since our previous reporting and the current candidates are as follows:

Chair - David Hann, Alex Plechash, Mike Murphy, and Bret Bussman

Deputy Chair - Donna Bergstrom, Kip Christianson, and Fred Hage

Secretary - Joy Orvis and Erik van Mechelen (Mechelen is proposing a floor fight to allow his nomination, further allowing competition)

Each candidate is required to meet with the Nominations Committee (NomCom) for interviews/background checks which is chaired by establishment puppet Aaron Farris. Farris is additionally the CD1 MNGOP Chair (despite his conflict of interest as a salaried employee of Congressman Brad Finstad) and used his role to kick Patriot Wendy Phillips out of a meeting and remove her from her role as CD1 State Exec. member. This corrupt removal was because Wendy stood up for Otter Tail Patriots who were disenfranchised by RINO David Hann by serving as a neutral party to chair their local convention. Like the puppet he is, Farris followed commands from higher-ups. Is he doing the same now with the NomCom?

Farris and other members of the NomCom appear to be weaponizing the committee by utilizing their power to deem candidates as “Qualified”, “Qualified with Reservations”, or “Unqualified” to target opponents of David Hann. Rumors have been flying around that Chair candidates Mike Murphy and Alex Plechash are set to be deemed “Qualified with Reservations” despite both having previously been deemed “Qualified” by a NomCom for Governor and RNC Committeeman candidacies respectively. Only a corrupt process could find RINO David Hann, the destroyer of the MNGOP, as the only qualified candidate. This corrupt NomCom would probably even find Jesus Christ “Qualified with Reservations”!

Chair candidate Bret Bussman informed delegates via email that about an hour before his scheduled meeting with the NomCom he received a call from Aaron Farris and the MNGOP lawyer cancelling his interview. Bret says they presented a series of false accusations and asked questions which he answered. Bret later appeared on an episode of The Truth Hurts and further clarified what the whole issue was REALLY about. 

In 1984, Bret Bussman failed to return a cable tv box on time! That is the “crime” in question! On the show, Bret discussed the circumstances of the event and the absurdity of this event holding up his interview with the NomCom.

Is the same level of criminal scrutiny being applied to all candidates? Was any other candidate subject to an interview postponement due to previous criminal activity? Has shady Kip Christianson faced the same scrutiny? Including our previous reporting, new allegations have emerged as Amanda Hughes, wife of former CD7 GOP nominee Dave Hughes, posted on Facebook that Kip once tried to bribe Dave and pressure him to drop out. Dave Hughes addressed this story on a previous episode of The Truth Hurts but did not mention Kip by name in the video. Kip allegedly threatened Dave’s employment to cut off federal contracts and asked “How will you feed your 7 children”. This is quite the dispute from Kip’s narrative which portrays his involvement with Hughes as grassroots in order to prop himself up. See post below:

December 10th (date of article's publishing) is the deadline for the NomCom to meet with candidates which gave them a short window for Bussman’s interview and background check paperwork. Assuming rumored information is true about the NomCom, he may not receive a fair shake and would get the “Qualified with Reservations” designation. The NomCom must also make the official determinations for qualification designations by December 10th. Sources tell A4L that Bussman has met with the NomCom.

While rumors have been floating around about what the NomCom is going to do, puppet Aaron Farris is accusing, without evidence, that a “leaker” is sharing information with Action 4 Liberty! As the article’s author, I can say with 100% certainty that I have spoken with zero members of the NomCom, but if I had, why would transparency be such a boogeyman? Why would members need to be secret? What is there to cover up? What information is Aaron nervous that A4L will learn? What if we already know? We’ll let Aaron sweat on it for now! See email below:

Perhaps Aaron is instead referring to the MN Young Republicans who are the real leakers! They sent out an email and CC’d the delegate list instead of a BCC which allowed every recipient to have access to the email list! The MN Young RINOs are the real culprits! Or maybe he was concerned with A4L President Erik Mortensen’s reply to the email, see below:

The strategy of calling candidates “Qualified with Reservations” may blow up in face of the Establishment as seen previously with Royce White’s dominant win over He/Him Joe Fraser at the 2024 State Convention despite the NomCom’s intended negative effects of Royce’s qualification designation. When delegates see party insiders using their power to tilt the scale, it can cause an equal and opposite reaction. In another instance of corruption of a NomCom, the CD6 NomCom found Patriot Chris Corey to be “Unqualified” and refused to allow him to speak at the endorsing convention against Globalist RINO Tom Emmer. Walter Hudson played a pivotal role in this convention by using his political capital to demand delegates enforce the NomCom’s censorship and ensure that Emmer had a coronation instead of competition.

Our exposure of the State Central NomCom will cause one of two things:

1. The NomCom is exposed as a weaponized block of party insiders to protect David Hann
2. The NomCom changes course and treats candidates fairly

Three Rivers Park Commissioner Jennifer DeJournett was previously a candidate for Chair but was removed from the nomination petition by Aaron Farris for allegedly challenging the legality of several questions in the nomination paperwork and refusing to answer such questions. As the powers of the NomCom and other bylaws are yet to be approved by the State Central delegation body, Farris and the NomCom had no authority to remove DeJournett’s name from the nomination petition.

It is clear that the MNGOP is in desperate need of new leadership but conservatives may find issues when looking at other candidates. 

Alex Plechash backstabbed Otter Tail delegates in his previous role, was an avid anti-Trumper during the 2024 primary according to local Patriots, helped usher in corrupt Presidential debate rules as RNC Committeeman, fought a Resolution condemning the Trump indictments at a previous State Central (introduced by the article's author), and in private conversation told the article’s author that he regretted his vote as RNC Committeeman to censure RINO Liz Cheney! In an appearance on The Truth Hurts, Plechash claimed he was fooled by Hann and others into screwing Otter Tail over.

Mike Murphy betrayed his Governor campaign supporters in 2022 by becoming an obvious ladder climber with his endorsement of gun grabber Scott Jensen. Murphy then let down the grassroots again by announcing a 2022 MNGOP Chair run just to bail out of the race, leaving only Phil Parrish to challenge David Hann. Murphy also dropped out of a very brief CD2 campaign. Corrupt CD6 Chair and Emmer staffer Bobby Benson used his position on the Lexington City Council to hold a rushed, nontransparent, and unfair appointment of Murphy to the city council. As a delegate, Murphy could be seen at the CD6 Convention opposing all motions to let Chris Corey compete against Emmer or Murphy could be seen at the State Convention voting to approve of the corrupt credentials report that excluded the duly elected delegates of Otter Tail.

Donna Bergstrom used her capacity as Deputy Chair to screw over Otter Tail delegates as well. Patriots cannot be expected to support Donna simply because RINO David Hann backstabbed her. She is getting a taste of what the grassroots has dealt with for years with RINO “leadership”. If she does not correct course and align herself with the grassroots, the grassroots will not support her.

It is clear that the failed MNGOP is dead and in need of revival. Interestingly, Kip Christianson is titling his run and project “Revive the MNGOP”. If something needs to be revived, that means it is dead! Who killed it? Of course we know the answer is David Hann. Revive the MNGOP is simply a rip-off, Temu version of the grassroots organization “Rebuild the MNGOP”. Perhaps imitation is the most sincere form of flattery or Kip is simply trying to appear grassroots. The “Revive the MNGOP” website is a blank page that gives ZERO information! Even Kamala Harris eventually put a platform on her website, are the standards so low in the MNGOP that distrustworthy people can get by on their word?

The State Central convention will determine the direction of the MNGOP and will signal whether or not the establishment RINOs still have control or if the America First base can reclaim their party. A4L will continue to provide Patriots with hard-hitting, truth-telling, pro-freedom reporting that cannot be found anywhere else. 

House District 54A was the closest legislative election in the state during the last election and it has been marked with massive issues that give voters reason to question the legitimacy of the results.

The incumbent Representative, clown Brad Tabke, leads Republican Aaron Paul by a margin of 14 votes. Initial reporting on the MN SOS election results webpage showed 100% of results reporting with Aaron Paul leading. Later, more votes were added and Tabke now led by 13 votes. Tabke also picked up another vote during the hand-recount. 21 ballots were missing in this race within Shakopee Precincts 10 and 12A. Read our previous reporting on this story here.

A press release issued by Scott County Attorney Ron Hocevar stated that the investigation is ongoing and incomplete but did reveal that 20 ballots were thrown into the trash! Read the entire press release here and see the key findings in the following screenshot:

The press release also states that the garbage bags that the ballots were in have already been taken to the landfill and are set to be shredded. Voters in 54A were deprived of their Right to vote and cannot be compelled to state who they voted for. Based on what is known by Scott County in the present, one has to wonder if they are aware of the names of the disaffected voters.

To make matters worse, the investigation focused only on Precinct 10 and explained the issue away for Precinct 12A by stating “Based on experience, staff noted that it is not uncommon for one voter to check in and not vote, so the discrepancy in Precinct 12A was not pursued; the focus was on P10.” This means that Scott County has not given a clear answer to this issue, they are only presenting a guess.

The massive election integrity issues that took place in 54A paired with the close margins should force a new election to be held entirely. House Republicans and Aaron Paul have taken up litigation for that end. The lawsuit (case number: 70-CV-24-17210) can be read in full here. See all related documents to the case by using the MN Court Records online search engine. See a portion of that lawsuit below:

Brad Tabke cannot and should not be recognized as the legitimate winner of the 54A race. If the lawsuit is unsuccessful in the MN Supreme Court it will be up to House Republicans to not recognize Tabke as the 54A Representative and force the seat to be vacant until a new election is held.

Action 4 Liberty will continue to expose fraud, fight for liberty, and give updates on this story as it develops.

Failed MNGOP “leadership” from RINO Chair David Hann and others in the establishment’s apparatus has turned a competitive swing state into a reliable hold for Democrats. Election after election passes and while Republicans gain little to no ground in Minnesota, the same unprincipled individuals continue to steer the MNGOP towards defeat. While Minnesota did see an uptick in Trump’s vote totals and percentage compared to years past, this was entirely due to the grassroots energy surrounding the MAGA movement and not the failed tactics of the MNGOP.

Despite President Trump visiting Minnesota twice, including a St. Cloud rally and a speech at the MNGOP Lincoln Reagan dinner where Trump bailed the party out of debt, Minnesota did not follow the trends of the rest of the country (much like 2022). Aside from other party figures, leading the Trump campaign in MN was Globalist RINO Tom Emmer. Emmer weaponized the Trump campaign in CD2 to seemingly buy off Tayler Rahm so that RINO Joe Teirab could have no conservative opposition. The MN Trump campaign seemed far more concerned with giving establishment puppets money and jobs instead of WINNING!

It appears that this conservative critique of the MNGOP is shared by a MNGOP Secretary candidate named Ed Gross as he recently sent an email to State Central delegates titled: “If Everything went so well Nationally, why did Minnesota do so Poorly?” This email can be read in full at the bottom of the article.

Ed Gross is the Chairman for the Minnesota Organization of Republican Veterans (MORVets) which is a grassroots group centered around increasing political activism among veterans and advocating for conservative policies. Gross will be up against two opponent for Secretary including CD5 Chair Alec Beck and establishment-backed Joy Orvis.

Gross highlights many issues with the MNGOP including the poor relationship that currently exists between the state party officers and the grassroots within BPOUs. He stresses the importance of locals who are engaged in key areas to be involved and a part of the team. Gross states that BPOUs deserve full ownership and communication for party business and how the state party should act in a service-oriented manner.

Ed Gross additionally takes the party to task for riding the national coattails with them calling the 4.5% vote margin between Kamala and Trump in MN a success, which Gross thinks is nothing to brag about. Instead of focusing on national politics to drive results, Gross believes the focus should be centered on endorsed Republican candidates in local races to engage better with the residents of a given area.

The MNGOP State Central Committee will be held on Saturday, December 14th at the Minneapolis Marriott Southwest (5801 Opus Pkwy. Minnetonka, MN 55343). Delegates and Alternates can find more information here. This meeting will hold elections for the following party officer positions: Chair, Deputy Chair, and Secretary. Check out our previous reporting to learn more about the Deputy Chair race. 

Failed, divisive, and big government leadership by the MNGOP has kept the grassroots out of the picture. If Republicans ever want to win in Minnesota the establishment will have to hand over the keys to the grassroots and allow the party to be led by principled Patriots rather than weak-kneed establishment RINOs.

While one Scott County election is making headlines over missing ballots, another election was quietly laid to rest with minimal attention given to the disruption over slanderous remarks on social media. 

Andrew Ganfield and Rick Stidger ran for Elko New Market mayor’s seat being vacated by Joe Julius. Both Ganfield and Stidger ran as opponents to Elko New Market’s recent $125 million investment in the California company Niagara Bottling plant that would draw from the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer, city’s water supply, a partnership Mayor Julius was eager to invest in despite overwhelming opposition by the residents.

Stidger, who has lived most of his life in Scott County, was the grassroots fighter that challenged RINO incumbent Jon Koznick for the 57A House of Representative seat earlier this year. This fall he pivoted to run for Elko New Market mayor.  

In the lead up to Election Day, Elko New Market resident Dillon Forst fired last minute smear of Rick Stidger with wild claims of child trafficking on a community Facebook group. Forst’s posts were posted late at night before election day for maximum impact before the page moderator could remove it and just hours before the polls opened.

The slander came out of nowhere as Stidger had not interacted with Forst before this election season.

Stidger’s objective was essentially the same as his opponent, Andrew Ganfield. Neither sought the position of mayor to further political or business interests; they simply wanted to represent the community they live in, offering a voice for the citizens who pay their taxes and chose Elko New Market as the community they want to raise a family and reside in.

According to Section 609.765, Minnesota Statute states that whoever knowingly states false or defamatory matter against one’s character orally, in writing or by any other means to a third person without the consent of the person defamed is guilty or criminal defamation - a crime that may carry imprisonment for up to 364 days and/or payment up to $3,000. 

Certainly Dillon Forst could have queried privately about Stidger’s accusations. Did Forst have a grievance, unbeknownst to Stidger and use this as an opportunity to thwart the mayoral race?

In a race between two candidates with an objectively similar platform, a race that was decided by 90 votes, it’s hard to surmise that this last-minute social media slander didn’t make its mark, perhaps even deciding the race.

The MNGOP has become the antithesis of grassroots conservatives due to failed leadership. The swampy, establishment, backroom deal-making that America First conservatives despise has become the standard operating procedure of the MNGOP. The party’s Chair, RINO David Hann, has destroyed the party by causing financial ruin, abandoning core conservative principles, disenfranchising delegates to rig endorsing conventions, and being completely out of touch with the grassroots.

On December 14th, the MNGOP State Central Committee will meet to hold elections for Chair, Deputy Chair, and Secretary. Many figured that Hann’s abysmal track record as Chair would mean that he would not seek reelection but he announced on November 21st via email that he would run again. Shockingly, David Hann simultaneously announced his running mate would be a shady political operative and newly elected Monticello City Councilman named Kip Christianson instead of incumbent Donna Bergstrom.

The rumor floating around was that the establishment slate of candidates was going to be Kip Christianson for Chair, Walter Hudson for Deputy Chair, and Joy Orvis for Secretary. This plan appeared to be in motion temporarily as Hudson’s name was listed on the Nomination Petitions sheet for the Deputy Chair position. Despite being an avid user of X (formerly Twitter), Hudson did not make a single post about his short-lived run. This was likely because his bosses were still working out a deal.

Once Hann announced his run for reelection and selection of Kip as his running mate, Walter Hudson dropped out of the race and immediately endorsed Hann/Christianson. Perhaps Hudson's salaried employment as “Strategic Outreach and Engagement Director” of the MNGOP was promised to continue or another monetary agreement was reached. While conservatives do not base their vote for Chair based on who will pay them, Walter is in very a different spot than the grassroots and his endorsement of Hann and Kip could not make that more clear!

Hudson was once seen by many as a “Liberty Champion” but has become a tool of the Establishment very quickly into his legislative career. Walter exposed himself at the CD6 Convention by using his political capital to get delegates to usher Globalist RINO Tom Emmer in unopposed and censor his only opponent, professional golf caddy Chris Corey. Hudson also endorsed RINO Ron Kresha in HD10A over grassroots conservative Diane Webb Skillings and helped usher in a law that can send you to prison over AI memes.

While Action 4 Liberty appreciates that Walter Hudson introduced our Never Again Bill, he has yet to bring a vote on it on the House floor.

Incumbent Deputy Chair Donna Bergstrom sent an email to delegates informing them that David Hann told her that he was going to support her reelection bid! It appears she did not know Hann would do this until she got the email herself. This move reflects on Hann's character showing disloyalty. He likely back-stabbed Donna in order to work out a deal so that Kip Christianson, or someone else, would not challenge him for Chair! See the email from Donna below:

David Hann is proving himself to be a manipulative liar who is desperate to hang onto power. But is his new running mate any better? Surely he wouldn’t be a manipulative liar too…

In 2020, Kip Christianson fooled a blind, wheelchair-bound veteran into getting on the ballot with the Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party while being paid by the Republican National Committee. The veteran, Kevin “Ne Se” Shores, says he was deceived into thinking that Kip was a member of the marijuana-based third party. Is a willingness to lie, cheat, and manipulate disabled veterans the type of dishonest leadership Republicans are looking for?

Kip has a history of being used as a political pawn for the Establishment like his involvement at the 2016 Raymond Harvest Fest parade where he allegedly shoved people and earned the label of a “political stalker” while working for the RINO funded, anti-grassroots MN Jobs Coalition. Kip doesn’t look like a political stalker, right? See below: 

Kip also chose to physically push and try to remove the author of this article from the 2023 December MNGOP State Central Committee by falsely claiming there was no disclaimer on the following flyers distributed. As you can see below, the disclaimers are properly noted at the bottom:

David Hann may want a Deputy Chair who is equally spineless on the issue of abortion. Many may remember Hann’s email to candidates demanding that they say that abortions, up to the moment of birth, is a Constitutionally protected Right in Minnesota but many may not know that as an RNC delegate, Kip Christianson voted to remove the Pro-Life language from the RNC platform. 

The shadiness surrounding the Hann/Christianson campaign is the perfect representation of RINOs spitting in the face of the grassroots. Are Republicans to believe that Trump would have won Minnesota if Kip was Deputy Chair instead of Donna? This is a doubling-down on the divisive, anti-grassroots, anti-conservative, failed leadership that NEVER delivers for their base! Even the Establishment should realize that Hann/Christianson is a dream team for Democrats, the Dems could not ask for weaker competition!

The Deputy Chair race is currently contested by incumbent Donna Bergstrom, Sketchy Kip Christianson, and Cass County BPOU Chair Fred Hage. Delegates received the following email from Fred Hage concerning his candidacy. See below:

Candidates for all MNGOP officer positions up for grabs will have to earn the votes of grassroots delegates who want the party to hold fair endorsing conventions, support the endorsed candidates, help Republicans in the general election, and force GOP legislators to pass a Liberty Agenda. This change in direction for the MNGOP would be opposite of David Hann’s history of (unilaterally at first) disenfranchising duly-elected delegates in Otter Tail County from being seated at the 2024 CD7 and State Conventions. Despite these grassroots Patriots doing nothing wrong, they were not to the Establishment’s liking and have been treated like garbage ever since. Locals say that Kip Christianson has offered up some double-speak to them by suggesting he would help make things right. However, private conversations do no good. The only way to get the truth is a public pledge that Patriots can hold “leaders” to account with. That is EXACTLY what Patriots in Otter Tail County did which they say has been sent to each candidate running for Chair, Deputy Chair, and Secretary. See pledge below:

Action 4 Liberty will report on which candidates sign on and stand with the grassroots and which ones will openly admit that they will continue to screw Otter Tail conservatives over. David Hann has been a nightmare as MNGOP Chair who does not believe that Democrats are the enemy. He has instead chosen to pick fights with the grassroots and needs Kip to help put the nail in the coffin. Donna Bergstrom will still have to earn the votes of conservatives who have seen her carry David Hann’s water despite her knowing better. According to Truth Hurts News, Bergstrom even sided with Hann during the critical Otter Tail vote on the MNGOP State Exec. Committee. If Donna wants to win, she is going to have to correct course.

Read our previous reporting on Royce White calling out David Hann for a list of his transgressions against conservatives and the grassroots.

Current candidates on the MNGOP Nomination Petitions Google Sheets shows the following candidates for each office:

Chair: RINO incumbent David Hann, Three Rivers Park Commissioner Jennifer DeJournett, Former Crow Wing County BPOU Chair Forest Hyatt, 2022 Governor candidate and incoming Lexington Mayor Mike Murphy, Former Veteran Affairs Field Rep. for late Congressman Jim Hagedorn named Armin Joseph Steck Jr., and 2022 GOP Endorsed Senate candidate (SD5) Bret Bussman. Otter Tail County conservative Mike Langlie has a Facebook page for a Chair campaign but does not yet appear on the nomination petitions.

Deputy Chair: Incumbent and 2018 GOP Lt. Governor nominee (running with Jeff Johnson) Donna Bergstrom, shady political operative and newly elected Monticello city councilman Kip Christianson, and longtime Cass County BPOU Chair Fred Hage.

Secretary: Establishment-backed Joy Orvis, MORVets Chair Ed Gross, and young conservative activist Bradley Strand.

In the Iron Range of northern Minnesota, the 3rd of July is a big night where folks from neighboring towns and cities come to Nashwauk for the firework show and street games by the bars on Main Street. The following day, thousands pour into Nashwauk again for the 4th of July parade. As a lifelong attendee of these events I know that as the night closes, cars begin to line up down 1st Street to hop onto HWY 169 to head out of town with police on high alert.

During the 2024 celebrations of the 4th of July, people became aware of an unfortunate death that took place on HWY 169 the night before. 19 year old Carter Haithcock of Goodland was killed while walking along the highway sometime around 11PM. Early the next morning on July 4th, then Congressional District 8 Democrat Chair Cynthia “Cyndy” Martin contacted law enforcement and stated that she believed she hit an owl or turkey while driving through Nashwauk. 

Interestingly, Martin states that she was coming from the Sawmill Saloon in Mountain Iron (as opposed to uptown Nashwauk). Investigators say camera surviellance from a Sinclair gas station on the corner of the highway entrance captured footage of a dark-colored SUV with a single headlight pulling over to the side near the crash site for about 25 seconds before driving away. Cyndy Martin’s 2005 GMC Yukon matched the description and a State Patrol examination of the vehicle found a piece of fabric recovered from the hood that “was consistent with the sweatshirt worn by [Haithcock].”

Alpha News reported on this story and got in contact with the Itasca County Democrats about the reported hit & run. A spokesman for the Itasca Democrats denied Martin’s involvement in the incident but they have more recently responded to Alpha News stating “Accidents happen; the accident is under investigation’ the accident has nothing to do with Itasca County DFL. End of ‘story.’”

Carter Haithcock’s sister, Gabrielle, posted her frustrations on Facebook stating “Cyndy Martin killed by brother in a hit and run, seen on video backing up to his body, then left him there on the side of the road. Early the next morning she got a lawyer & called the accident in claiming she ‘thought she hit an owl’ that night but now thought she may have hit a man. Walking free… being she’s a political activist I think that’s why this is being covered up. None of this is right at all.” See post below:

This will be a moment for Itasca Sheriff Joe Dasovich and newly appointed (thanks to A4L exposure and fight against Ellison loyalist James Austad's nomination) Itasca County Attorney Jacob Fauchald to have the backs of their communities and not let political individuals get special treatment. Since the news has broken, it appears Martin has resigned as CD8 Chair with Lee Cutler as the new acting Chair.

Martin’s actions show a continued pattern among Democrats operating vehicles recklessly. Look no further than police-endorsed drunk driver Rep. Dan Walgomott (who was caught chugging vodka in a liquor store parking lot) or Rep. Brion Curran who got her DWI in October of last year. In 2022 following Farmfest, State Auditor Julie Blaha and Senate Minority leader Melisa Lopez Franzen collided with a semi-truck. Police discovered a “cold” and “pretty full” white claw in the car.  MN Democrat Party Chair Ken Martin then got involved and made sure to mention that these were powerful politicians! Now Ken wants to be chair of the DNC and run the national Democrat Party, read our previous reporting on that here. He would destroy our country like he has destroyed our state!

Democrats are constantly breathing down the necks of Patriots like you but spineless Republicans refuse to fight. From refusing to return surpluses to passing omnibus bills to blocking free speech to nonsense regulations, we have witnessed the MNGOP cave to liberal demands. When the Democrats have power they use it to its full extent. When Republicans have power, big government RINOs block real change. When the GOP refuses to fight, the Democrats pummel them.

In yesterday’s (11/19/24) broadcast of The Morning Meeting w/ former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, former ABC Political Director Mark Halperin, and former Hillary Clinton operative Dan Turrentine hosted a call-in segment. During that segment former MN State Representative RINO, now lobbyist Nick Zerwas called into the show to discuss Ken Martin’s run for DNC Chair. 

Zerwas highlighted how weak the MNGOP is in comparison to the Democrats in MN on a matter of fundraising (10 to 1). Zerwas said that Ken Martin holds a stranglehold on legislators by holding their feet to the fire to pass radical bills, got different left wing factions to work together, and doubled down on the liberal agenda. He also states “I wouldn’t pick a fight against Ken Martin.” See below:

Perhaps Zerwas says he would not pick a fight with Martin because his legislative track record would certainly reflect that! Zerwas’ score on the A4L scorecard was a PATHETIC 54% in 2019 (his final year in Legislature) and he has a lifetime score of an EVEN WORSE 50%. Perhaps the issue is that the MNGOP is afraid to pick a fight with Ken Martin and the Dems!

As noted in our previous reporting on Martin’s DNC Chair run, he should be seen as a credible opponent and an enemy to freedom. That said, MNGOP Chair RINO David Hann says Martin and the Dems are “not the enemy” and appears on podcasts to play footsie with Ken Martin! Hann even is a co-sponsor with Martin of a campaign for “civility” so Republicans can be polite while they’re getting screwed over!

Politics is a bloodsport and you have to fight like a junkyard dog. Weak leadership from RINOs takes the conservative movement backwards. President Trump never backed down from attacking the corrupt Democrats at their core and he was rewarded for it in the last election. If the MNGOP grew a pair and actually “FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!” for the America First base in Minnesota they would see voter turnout like they’ve never seen before.

THE MNGOP WILL LOSE IF THEY ARE AFRAID TO FIGHT KEN MARTIN & THE DEMOCRATS!