St. Paul, Minn. (June 2, 2010) – The Minnesota Senate Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct met Wednesday at the request of Sen. Satveer Chaudhary (DFL-Fridley), to answer whether he had a conflict of interest on an amendment to the Omnibus Game and Fish bill relating to local requests for fishery protections on a lake where he also owns a cabin.
The bipartisan subcommittee, made up of 2 DFL and 2 GOP legislators, unanimously supported a written opinion that stated Sen. Chaudhary “did not have a conflict of interest” in the matter.
The written opinion also stated, “The Subcommittee appreciates your willingness to bring this matter before it, to answer the questions of the Subcommittee, to acknowledge your errors, and to attempt to correct them.”
“I fully admit that my actions didn’t allow for the necessary vetting of this proposal, and that, as I stated at the hearing, was a mistake for which I am sincerely sorry,” said Sen. Chaudhary. “The Subcommittee deliberated earnestly, and I truly respect their hard work. Although no one ever leveled an actual charge against me, I’m glad Republicans and Democrats unanimously agreed conservation is not a conflict of interest.”
