A conservative activist may be in trouble over his actions during the state’s primary election, an ex-Anoka County prosecutor is in court for sex trafficking, and St. Cloud’s City Hall might be going to the dogs.
Transcript
WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON.
A CONSERVATIVE ACTIVIST KNOWN FOR HIS UNDERCOVER VIDEOS …
IS NOW UNDER SCRUTINY FOR A STUNT IN WHICH HE AND OTHERS PRETENDED TO BE MINNESOTA VOTERS … WHILE ALLEGEDLY TRYING TO PROVE HOW EASILY VOTER FRAUD COULD HAPPEN.
[JAMES O’KEEFE: I CAN VOUCH FOR THEM, BUT THEY ARE NOT REGISTERED … THAT'S OKAY? THAT'S FINE? CAN I BRING FIVE MORE FROM UP TO EIGHT PEOPLE? OKAY, THAT'S … THAT'S A GOOD THING.]
JAMES O’KEEFE AND OTHER SO-CALLED INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS DRESSED IN DISGUISES … WHAT HIS GROUP CALLED “MUSLIM” GARB … USED FAKE FOREIGN ACCENTS … AND PRETENDED TO BE MINNESOTA VOTERS DURING THE STATE PRIMARY LAST WEEK.
IN THE VIDEO … RECORDED ON HIDDEN CAMERAS … O’KEEFE SAYS THE GROUP IS PUTTING MINNESOTA’S VOTER-VOUCHING SYSTEM TO AN “EXTREME TEST.”
[JAMES O’KEEFE: SHE SAYS TO ME. I SAY THEY DO NOT NEED ID. SHE SAYS YOU ARE THE ID. HE IS THE ID. I AM THE ID.]
UNDER STATE LAW … VOUCHING IS ONE WAY SOMEONE REGISTERING ON ELECTION DAY CAN PROVE WHERE THEY LIVE.
A VOTER ALREADY REGISTERED IN THAT PRECINCT CAN GO WITH THEM … AND SIGN AN OATH SWEARING THEY LIVE THERE. ONE VOTER CAN VOUCH FOR UP TO EIGHT PEOPLE.
O’KEEFE THEN PROMOTED THE VIDEO...WHICH WENT VIRAL...WITH A HEADLINE IMPLYING THE GROUP HE VOUCHED FOR ACTUALLY VOTED …
BUT THE VIDEO DOESN’T SHOW THAT … IT ONLY SHOWS POLL WORKERS EXPLAINING MINNESOTA’S LONGSTANDING VOUCHING LAW.
THE STATE VOUCHING LAW ONLY ALLOWS SOMEONE TO VERIFY THAT THE POTENTIAL VOTER LIVES IN THAT PRECINCT. THE POTENTIAL VOTER MUST STILL PROVIDE AN ID AND THE LAST FOUR DIGITS OF THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER TO PROVE THEIR IDENTITY.
THE VIDEO DOES NOT INCLUDE THAT INFORMATION.
SECRETARY OF STATE STEVE SIMON CALLED THE STUNT “OUTRAGEOUS” … SAYING POLL WORKERS IMMEDIATELY REPORTED THE INTERACTIONS … AND LAW ENFORCEMENT IS REVIEWING IT FOR POSSIBLE PROSECUTION.
--EX- ANOKA COUNTY ATTORNEY/SEX TRAFFICKER --
IN THE METRO …
A FORMER ANOKA COUNTY PROSECUTOR IS AMONG AT LEAST FOUR PEOPLE ACCUSED IN A TWIN CITIES SEX-TRAFFICKING OPERATION THAT PROSECUTORS SAY INVOLVED 13 WOMEN AND RAN FOR YEARS.
ANDREA SAMPSON … FRANK REEVES … AND VIKTORIYA KOMONASH EACH FACE 26 FELONY COUNTS … TWO FOR EACH ALLEGED VICTIM … FOR PROMOTING PROSTITUTION AND COLLECTING THE MONEY. I.
PROSECUTORS SAY REEVES RAN THE OPERATION … WHILE KOMONASH HELPED RECRUIT WOMEN … SET RATES … ARRANGE APPOINTMENTS AND COLLECT MONEY.
EX-PROSECUTOR SAMPSON’S ALLEGED ROLE WAS MORE BEHIND THE SCENES.
THE COMPLAINT SAYS SHE HELPED CREATE SHELL COMPANIES USED TO HIDE MONEY … AND PROVIDED TWO MINNEAPOLIS PROPERTIES WHERE WOMEN WERE PHOTOGRAPHED FOR SEX ADS OR MET BUYERS.
VICTIMS TOLD INVESTIGATORS THEY WERE RAPED … GIVEN ALCOHOL AND DRUGS … WATCHED BY CAMERAS … AND REQUIRED TO HAND OVER PART OF THEIR PAY.
SAMPSON, REEVES, AND KOMONASH ARE ALL BEING HELD IN JAIL … AND ARE DUE IN COURT TODAY.
--ZEBRA MUSSELS INTRO --
INVASIVE ZEBRA MUSSELS HAVE BEEN FOUND IN ABOUT THREE-QUARTERS OF MINNESOTA COUNTIES … THOUGH THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE STATE’S LAKES ARE STILL FREE OF THEM.
NOW … TWO MORE NORTHERN MINNESOTA WATERS HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES’ LIST … ONE BETWEEN GRAND RAPIDS AND HIBBING … AND ANOTHER BETWEEN BEMIDJI AND WALKER.
AMPER MEMBER STATION K-A-X-E’S MEGAN BUFFINGTON HAS MORE.
--ZEBRA MUSSELS PACKAGE--
[A SURVEY CREW FROM THE ITASCA COUNTY SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT FOUND THE INVASIVE SPECIES IN THE LARUE MINE PIT NEAR NASHWAUK.
DNR STAFF FOLLOWED UP WITH AN INSPECTION AND FOUND BOTH IMMATURE AND ADULT ZEBRA MUSSELS. ADULT ZEBRA MUSSELS WERE ALSO FOUND IN CABACONA LAKE, SOUTH OF LAPORTE.
THE CABACONA LAKE BOARD CONTACTED THE AGENCY AFTER FINDING THE MUSSELS ON A ROCK ON A SANDBAR. THE DNR FOUND MORE NEARBY.
MINNESOTA LAW REQUIRES YOU TO CLEAN WATERCRAFT AND TRAILERS DRAIN ALL WATER, DISPOSE OF UNWANTED BAIT IN THE TRASH, AND DRY DOCKS, LIFTS, AND RAFTS BEFORE MOVING THEM BETWEEN WATER BODIES.
FROM THE KAXE NEWS DESK. I'M MEGAN BUFFINGTON.]
--HALAL BUSH FELLOWSHIP--
A ST. CLOUD FOOD-SYSTEMS SPECIALIST IS WORKING TO BUILD A STRONGER HALAL MEAT SUPPLY CHAIN IN MINNESOTA … WITH THE HELP OF A BUSH FELLOWSHIP.
HALAL MEAT IS MEAT THAT HAS BEEN RAISED AND SLAUGHTERED ACCORDING TO ISLAMIC DIETARY LAWS.
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION’S SERDAR MAMEDOV SAYS CENTRAL MINNESOTA’S GROWING MUSLIM COMMUNITIES HAVE CREATED MORE DEMAND FOR FRESH HALAL MEAT … BUT LOCAL PROCESSING AND DISTRIBUTION HAVE STRUGGLED TO KEEP UP.
THE BUSH FOUNDATION SAYS HE’S ALREADY HELPED BUILD A REGIONAL HALAL MEAT TASK FORCE IN SAINT CLOUD … CONNECTING FARMERS … PROCESSORS … RETAILERS … AND MUSLIM COMMUNITIES.
MINNESOTA HAS NO DEDICATED HALAL SLAUGHTER FACILITY … AND MUCH OF THE HALAL MEAT SOLD HERE HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN IMPORTED FROZEN.
--ST CLOUD ANIMAL SHELTER --
AND FINALLY …
[DOGS BARKING IN SHELTER]
AN OLD HIGH SCHOOL LOCKER ROOM IN SAINT CLOUD COULD SOON BE GOING TO THE DOGS.
THE CITY WANTS TO TURN THE FORMER BOYS’ LOCKER ROOM AT THE OLD ‘TECH HIGH SCHOOL’ … NOW ITS CITY HALL … INTO AN ANIMAL SHELTER.
THE CITY COUNCIL IS CONSIDERING UP TO 600-THOUSAND DOLLARS IN RENOVATIONS AT CITY HALL … INCLUDING THE SHELTER … AT ITS MEETING TONIGHT.
THE CITY SAYS BRINGING MORE ANIMAL SERVICES IN-HOUSE COULD SAVE ABOUT 170-THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES, I’M XAN HOLSTON.