Champion denies conflict of interest, wrongdoing in first ethics hearing on funding for legal client

Senate President Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis, denied to the ethics committee Tuesday that he did anything wrong when he spearheaded $3 million in state grants to a nonprofit run by a legal client, north Minneapolis Rev. Jerry McAfee.

Champion reiterated that his legal work for McAfee was pro-bono and concluded just prior to the start of the 2023 legislative session. Champion never disclosed his relationship with McAfee, which the Reformer first reported earlier this month. Because the work was pro-bono, he said didn’t need to tell his fellow senators about it when he authored a bill granting $3 million in public funds to McAfee’s violence prevention group 21 Days of Peace.

Following the Reformer’s first report on April 4, Champion asked the Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct to issue an advisory opinion on whether his actions represented a conflict of interest that should have been disclosed to the Senate. The committee held its first hearing in the matter on Tuesday and is scheduled to continue deliberating Thursday. Champion previously served as the chair of the ethics committee, but he stepped down following the Reformer report.

Senate Republicans have also filed an ethics complaint against Champion.

In a committee room Tuesday full of Black community leaders and Champion supporters — including McAfee — the Senate president said he represented McAfee pro-bono because he has deep connections to the north Minneapolis community. Champion and his family go to McAfee’s church, and Champion said wanted to give back to the community that raised him.

“I did nothing wrong then, and I did nothing wrong now,” Champion said.

McAfee, when first contacted by the Reformer, refused to say whether he’d paid Champion for the legal work, but he has since told other media and the Senate ethics committee that it was indeed pro-bono representation.

Beginning in 2022, Champion represented McAfee and his nonprofit Salem Inc. in four cases involving nonpayment of mortgages on multiple Minneapolis properties. Champion detailed for the committee how the case ended in December 2022, but the order to dismiss the case wasn’t issued by opposing counsel until February 2023. His involvement with the case was over by that time, Champion testified.

Last month, Champion introduced a bill to provide an additional $1 million to 21 Days of Peace, but it didn’t make it into the Senate jobs bill. It could be included in a bill as the session continues, however.

Under Minnesota law, legislative conflicts of interest are narrowly defined and only exist when the official does something to benefit themselves financially. Minnesota’s part-time Legislature creates many opportunities for conflicts of interest, as most lawmakers have another job.

Outside ethics experts have said that Minnesota’s conflict of interest laws are among the weakest in the nation. A 2015 Center for Public Integrity report found that Minnesota ranked 44th in the nation on legislative accountability.

Champion, a practicing defense attorney, was also represented Tuesday by attorney David Zoll, who recently represented Rep. Brad Tabke, DFL-Shakopee, in an election contest case late last year.

The Senate president testified that he’s open to changing Minnesota’s ethics laws to ensure accountability for lawmakers in various professions.

“Right now — when you think in terms of lawyers — you can track lawyers, but we don’t track accountants and insurance brokers or real estate agents,” Champion said.

After the committee hearing, Champion told the Reformer in an interview that previous reporting about his connection with McAfee falsely jumps to the conclusion that he has a conflict of interest.

“If you look at the language of the law, it clearly says the official has to have a financial interest. When there’s a deviation from doing that and then immediately going to titles (headlines) like I ‘steered’ $3 million to a client, or ‘here are these other conflicts’ — you’re reaching a conclusion that there’s a conflict without even looking at the law,” Champion said.

Asked if he’s concerned about the appearance of a conflict of interest, regardless of whether he violated Senate rules, Champion said he’s being unfairly singled out for common legislative behavior.

“My conduct is no different from anyone else’s conduct … but it feels like you’re making my situation bigger, wider, more corrupt, more fraud, than taking a very narrow but appropriate and balanced approach. If they want to change the conflict rules, change them.”