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May 5, 2006 5:13 pm US/Central
Duluth Leaders Want Mayor Investigated
Duluth, Minn. (AP) ―
Two Duluth city councilors are supporting a resolution to investigate a May 2005 incident in which Mayor Herb Bergson was accused of leaking an unofficial document to the Duluth News Tribune.
Councilors Tim Little and Jim Stauber insist that an independent investigation of the incident is necessary, as they believe that under state law Bergson has committed a misdemeanor offense.
Bergson has acknowledged that he gave the newspaper a draft report from the Office of the Legislative Auditor that reported inappropriate payments had been made to the Minnesota Council on Compulsive Gambling.
Legislative Auditor Jim Nobles, who has also called for an investigation of Bergson's actions, wrote in a letter that a draft report is not a public document, and therefore should not be given to news sources.
Neither the Duluth City attorney nor the St. Louis County Attorney would be able to conduct the investigation due to a conflict of interest and a lack of jurisdiction.
"It's too bad Councilors Stauber and Little continue to allow their anger to get in the way of what's best for the city of Duluth and what the facts are," Bergson said.
The resolution will be put to vote on Monday.
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