Prof. Richard Painter Quoted in the Star Tribune About Duluth Mayor’s Girlfriend and Campaign Manager Involvement in City Business

Professor Richard Painter, S. Walter Richey Professor of Corporate Law, was quoted in the Star Tribune about Duluth mayor Roger Reinert’s significant other being directly involved in city business. Amber Gurske had also been Reinert’s campaign manager and is not employed by the city. Public records show that Gurske’s activity included the coordination of the mayor’s involvement with President Joe Biden’s January visit, to asking a city staffer to complete research for Reinert. Prof. Painter, a former White House ethics lawyer, said the situation is problematic because bribery statutes couldn’t be enforced against Gurske. It would be difficult to prosecute her for any potential order she gave or influence she used because she’s not a government employee. The federal Hatch Act also prohibits someone like a campaign manager using public resources for political gain. He said, “The campaign manager needs to stay with the campaign and not get involved in telling staff what to do.”