ST. PAUL – State Rep. Chris Swedzinski, R-Ghent, issued the following statement Friday regarding University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel’s responses to questions Sen. Paul Anderson, R-Plymouth, submitted to her regarding the recent hiring of Rep. Jamie Long, R-Minneapolis, as a “fellow” to the university’s Energy Transition Lab housed in the Institute on the Environment. Swedzinski is the ranking Republican on the House Energy and Climate Finance and Policy Division.
“Based on the university’s own responses, it appears this hiring process was improper,” Swedzinski said. “In their response, the university said the process which took place in hiring Rep. Long was not a ‘common practice,’ admitted it deserved additional scrutiny and put core values at risk. House Speaker Melissa Hortman has had a week to review documents that show Rep. Long appeared to have leveraged his position as a legislator to design his own job. I look forward to hearing the Speaker’s assessment and the appropriate actions she is taking.”
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