Last August, the media reported Senator Melisa Lopez Franzen (DFL-Edina) and State Auditor Julie Blaha (DFL-Ramsey) were involved in a serious accident leaving FarmFest, an annual agriculture event held in Redwood Falls, MN. At the time, reports only indicated alcohol was not a factor and the accident was just that, an accident.   

However, investigative reporting done by Alpha News indicates body camera footage taken and official reports filed on the day of the accident include mentions of an open, mostly full, cold can of White Claw hard seltzer in the Jeep driven by Blaha. Alpha News also reports Lopez Franzen told law enforcement the can was empty at the time of the crash. FarmFest does not allow any outside food or beverage and the police report indicated there was a full cooler of adult beverages in the car.  

Additionally, new information was revealed that DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin was called to the scene. Body camera footage shows Martin speaking to first responders and making sure they understood the two women were elected officials.

“Elected officials are always held to a higher standard. At the time of the crash last August, we all wanted to see Senator Lopez Franzen and Auditor Blaha recover; it appeared to be a scary accident,” Senate Deputy Majority Leader Karin Housley (R-Stillwater) said. “However, the details revealed today leave more questions than answers. The public deserves better from their leaders and we have many questions left unaddressed from August that are only now coming to light. I think we all deserve to hear directly from Leader Lopez Franzen, Auditor Blaha, and Chairman Martin about what happened.”   

Photo courtesy of Alpha News