Minnesota GOP begins election year with massive debt. [View all]

[RandySF]

St. Paul, Minn. — The Republican Party of Minnesota is heading into the 2012 elections with massive debt that could be as high as $2 million, party officials disclosed Friday.

A day before Republican delegates were to elect a new chairman, party officials conceded that the obligations include some debts the GOP had not disclosed. That could prompt additional fines from state and federal regulators.

It isn't a surprise that that the Republican Party's finances are bad, but no one expected the numbers to be this bad. Since Tony Sutton abruptly resigned as GOP chairman earlier this month, party officials have suggested that the debt could be as high as $1 million. They disclosed that it could be double that amount at a press conference.

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/12/30/mn-gop-debt-load/