Norm Coleman Ordered To Pay Al Franken $95K By Minnesota Court

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Republican Norm Coleman must pay Democrat Al Franken $94,783 to cover court costs for his appeal of Minnesota Senate election results.

A Ramsey County court administrator entered the judgment Wednesday. It results from the two-month trial that ended with Coleman 312 votes short of Franken.

Minnesota law required Coleman to cover some of Franken's court costs because the race's outcome didn't change. The judgment excludes Franken's attorney fees.

The men have spent $50 million so far on their campaigns and legal fight over the November election. That's more than double the cost of the 2002 race when Coleman captured what had been a Democratic seat.

The Minnesota Supreme Court hasn't said when it will rule on Coleman's appeal.

Comments

[tralfazz0]

You guys don't get it, do you? This has nothing to do with Norm Coleman, Al Franken, or even the State of Minnesota. What it's about is keeping a Senate seat out of the hands of the Democratic Party! Tim Pawlenty (our Governor) has just announced that he won't run for re-election in 2010, I believe so that he can do his part to block Franken from being seated in the U.S. Senate (as Governor, Pawlenty must sign off on Franken's election). This is clearly more Republican obstruction, which appears to be their only policy these days. Pawlenty, of course, also has aspirations to higher office, so he may be thinking that further delay of implementation of the wishes of the electorate will help him when it comes time to run for (gasp) President. At any rate, this isn't over yet. The MN Supreme Court SHOULD find in favor of Franken, but if they don't, we get another recount!

[Diana]

Right you are!

And let's not forget the coup by Arnie + Ken Lay + neocons that ousted Grey Davis from CA (for failing to balance the budget, of all things!) and--the granddaddy of them all, of course--the Supreme's giving the election to cheney/bush.

[Mister Wu]

I thought that Grey's recall was about stopping the investigation of the 10 billion stolen from California in the 2000 electric utility scandal.

[lechatnoir]

Well, Norm held it out as long as he could so, I guess it's an achievement of sorts.

[Prakosh]

$50 Million for the seat. This is completely outrageous. There has to be a better way than this to handle the results of close elections. And if nothing else screams campaign finance reform and publicly funded campaigns this case certain;y does. The idea that there could be endless appeals over a two or three year period is absurd on its face and should anger anyone with a democratic sensibility

[observer151]

Require an automatic runoff election to be held one month later when the vote count is within a 0.2% spread between the two leading candidates. No 2nd runoff.

Can be done for a couple million bucks.

[BlueZoo]

hehehehehehehe..........

[nellie]

Oh, this makes me smile.

[dugmaze]

Was this considered a frivolous lawsuit? I thought Republicans were so opposed to them?

[liberal54]

GOOD POINT!!! LOVE IT!

[joycehelene]

There has to be something terribly wrong with Norm Coleman, he is not the first person to lose an election. Al Gore had much more to lose and he didn't carry on the way Norm is doing. There must be something positive that Norm can now do with his life rather than carry on this way, perhaps do something wonderful to win a Nobel Prize the way Gore did.

[foxymama]

Maybe Norm owes the special interest groups big time.

[fiorastar]

Coleman is not the issue, at least not as an individual. The issue is the Senate seat and the Democratic majority. The Rethugs will stop at nothing to prevent ANY Democrat from taking that seat...as long as possible. If they can delay Franken being seated, though they know this is inevitable, past the Sotomayor hearings and past Obama's Health Care Initiative, they have a better chance of blocking both--or at least gaining political ground.

[foxymama]

Webster's dictionairy definition for sore loser: 1)Norm Coleman, 2) Rush Limbaugh,3) Newt Gringrich,4) Dick Cheney, 5) John McCain, and 6) Entire Republican Party.

[jbink]

Don't forget Joe Lieberman....lol

[Lemastre]

Actually, McCain seems more mellow about his loss than the rest of the Repubs do.

[fiorastar]

He actually looked relieved on Election Night, didn't he?

[jeniferdaniels]

my neighbor who took their McCain sign down and put an American flag up...as they are more patriotic than I?

[fiorastar]

How about us? We left our Obama sign up AND put up an American flag...as WE are now just as patriotic as anyone!

[GreenNuke]

Does this mean that the Coleman campaign and the GOP may have to pay more of Al Franken’s (as much as $50M) legal costs?

[blueken]

You would think that Norm is the first guy in the history of politics to loose a close one. One more reason to never vote Republican, EVER! My sympathy to you poor people in Minn. You have been made a national joke.

[jpopphan]

Seat Senator Franken already!!!!

[deschl]

ditto

[auroranorth]

Justice has its price

[sansego2000]

So does stupidity.

[sammyscout]

Coleman should be water boarded and neutered for his actions. Wilderness, out in the wilderness party. For the next 16 years. GOP losers.

[Steamboater]

LOL. Those republicans in that state must be having a hissy fit knowing some of their contributions to Coleman's campaign actually are going to Franken. I don't think Coleman will fight this in the Supreme Court of the U.S. He's getting tired and the GOP see the writing on the wall. Hope so any way.

[imfedup]

I don't think Coleman is making his decisions in a vacuum. He's likely being coached by Repubs at the national level. As long as they can stall this, we're missing a vote. It's worth their while to drag it out as long as they can; never mind the hit Coleman and Pawlenty have to take to their political careers. This is part of a much bigger strategy.

[greenmonk]

Couldn't have said it better myself.

I'm sure there's a nice Swiss bank account waiting for him when he has FINALLY exhausted all avenues, since his political career is now toast.

[dst1]

Pawlenty & Coleman can hang up their political ambitions. No one in their right mind would vote for either of them.