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

[Trolmaster]

I'm sure Coleman will appeal this ruling until the year 2015

[missouriwatcher]

The courts need to get on with it! Game over! Franken won, Coleman lost! Seat the new senator from Minn. and quit violating Minnesota's right to have 2 senators.

[longnow]

He'll appeal that and then Coleman will sue based on that appeal
and then he'll appeal again if he loses that appeal & then he'll start
looking like he looked on CSPAN when I saw him on two occasions.
It wasn't just a hangover or coincidence. He will look like the real
Norm Coleman when he doesn't get what he wants & that stubborn
jaw starts to turn into jelly & other things.

[atexasdem]

I'm sure the national republican committee will pay it for him. They are the ones who have backed Coleman after all. Every day they can keep Franken out of DC is another day they can block legislation. The will of the voters has nothing to do with it. Never forget that it was a republican operative in Florida that swung Bush's election and a court that put him in power. The republicans have a long history of useing courts to over ride the will of the electorate. Wasn't it a republican who said: "If you can't control the voters, control those who count the votes". Useing republican appointed judges to over ride the will of the voters has a long republican tradition.

[EyeballKid]

"It's not the votes that count, but who counts the votes."

-Josef Stalin

[highflag]

$95K probably isn't enough to get Coleman's attention. They should assess the millions that it's really cost the taxpayers of Minnesota and all the money that Franken has had to spend to defend himself against this futile exercise in obstructionism.

Give Al his rightfully acquired seat and lets get on with the business of America!

[hollybork]

Good Points! Coleman is a member of the unaccountability party.

[Ryoki]

The GOP. Wasting time, wasting money, wasting America for over 30 years.

[ThomasMc]

Coleman will spend the rest of his life resentful that the voters "cheated" him out of what was "rightfully" his.

[RGoetz]

I'm from Minnesota and as we say here, Norm Coleman has lost to a pro wrestler (Jesse Ventura) and a comedian (Al Franken) and the only person he beat to get to the US senate was a dead man (Paul Wellstone).

[HLL]

How sick of Norm Coleman and the GOP are Minnesotans? Are American voters? Is the Senate?

Can something not be done to end this circus, this criminal obstructionism? What a travesty. You'd think we were living in some Dictatorship country where elections are rigged instead of the USA where every vote is supposed to count and whomever wins 3 re-counts AND the judges decision is supposed to be the frickin' Senator from Minnesota.

SEAT SENATOR FRANKEN NOW.

[DeBartolo]

The courts worked to give Bush the White House...so the GOP is trying it again for Norm

[Big0725]

Tee to da Hee!

[kimbutgar]

Gee, just think how $50 million dollars would have helped the people of Minnesota but Coleman and his ego wouldn't admit defeat even after all the recounts showed Franken the winner. The only real winners were the lawyers!.

[VoteOnPaper]

My thoughts exactly. Good call.

[igorz]

8 months since the election, and no winner...seems like we should have a law about that, doesn't it? Maybe one that says if you don't have 2 sitting senators by June, you get kicked out of the union.

Maybe they can catch on with Canada.

[dave1111]

Um, the f.a.t lady is clearing her throat, Norm.

[Hank10303]

Please this is an encore but Coleman is in the bathroom, weak bladder u know, he needs the congressional health care.

[dave1111]

Um, the fat lady is clearing her throat, Norm.

[guch33]

Get back to the real business at hand in Minn. Recall that addled housewife Congresswoman who makes me want to move to south Dakota..........CO2 is good gas WTF?????