Administrative Law Judges at the Office of Administrative Hearings are authorized to hear and decide complaints alleging violations of the Fair Campaign Practices and Finance Acts (Minnesota Statutes, Chapters 211A and 211B). These complaints are heard by a panel of three Administrative Law Judges. The panel may dismiss the matter, issue a reprimand, impose a civil penalty of up to $5,000 and/or refer the complaint to a county attorney for criminal proceedings. Complaints filed with the Office of Administrative Hearings must proceed to a final order before the alleged violation may be prosecuted by a county attorney.
Please note that OAH may not consider and must dismiss claims alleging violations of Minn. Stat. § 211B.06 (false campaign material). The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit determined that statute was unconstitutional in 281 Care Committee v. Arneson.
For more information, contact an OAH staff attorney at 651-361-7837.
Complaint Form
Notice of Appearance
Income Guidelines and Fee Waiver Form
Every case is unique and each penalty will be selected to reflect the specific facts of the case. In order to assure some consistency from one case to the next, the three judge panel uses a presumptive penalty matrix as guidance. In any case, the three judge panel may depart from the presumptive penalty listed below and will explain the reasons for any departures.
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| Deliberate, multiple violations in complaint, history of violations, clear statute, unapologetic
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| Negligent, ill-advised, ill-considered
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| Inadvertent, isolated, promptly corrected, vague statute, accepts responsibility |
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