Minnesota Attorney General's office under investigation (update & video)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.kare11.com/news/ts_article.aspx?storyid=502715

Accusations of ethical misconduct in Attorney General Lori Swanson's office are now under investigation, including two probes launched by Swanson herself. And they're all unfolding against the backdrop of a bitter battle over attempts to unionize her staff attorneys.

Legislative Auditor James Nobles decided Friday to begin what he called a preliminary investigation of "any sort of inappropriate, unethical, illegal activity" in the AG's office. And he reserves the right to launch a more elaborate probe depending on what he finds.




But he will limit his search to specific allegations of wrongdoing.

"But we will not simply engage in some broad ranging fishing expedition."

Nobles made his decision during a two hour meeting of the Legislative Audit Commission, a bi-partisan group of lawmakers from the House and Senate with the power to assign Nobles to a case.

Representative Steve Simon, a Saint Louis Park Democrat, asked fellow commissioners to put Nobles on the job of tracking down allegations of legal and ethical violations former employees have made in interviews with reporters.

FULL story and video at link.