Hagedorn paid radio host Al Thielfoldt’s company almost $750,000 between August and September 2020
In an interview, Thielfoldt downplayed their relationship and hasn’t disclosed his financial ties on air
In a September report from the Minnesota Reformer, reporter Daniel Newhauser interviewed Al Thielfoldt, a local Minnesota radio host, about his ties to Congressman Jim Hagedorn. The report revealed that Thielfoldt had been giving Hagedorn softball questions and never disclosed their financial ties on the air, a potential breach of FCC rules.
When Newhauser confronted Thielfoldt about his ties to Hagedorn, Thielfoldt described the inquiry as “an attempt to ‘lynch’ him and calling it ‘cancel culture amok.’”
Thielfoldt would go on to downplay the relationship: “Every time Congressman Hagedorn comes on, I should say, ‘Two years ago, my ad agency purchased advertising for you?’ Like somehow that qualifies the fact I’m going to ask him how the Vikings did?” Thielfoldt said. “We can argue whether that’s important and I don’t think the rest of the world gets it.’”
While Thielfoldt downplayed his relationship with Hagedorn, he also failed to disclose the fact that Congressman Hagedorn’s campaign had paid Thielfoldt’s company nearly $750,000 in the month before the interview was conducted. In fact, the majority of the $1.1 million Hagedorn spent in the third quarter of 2020 went to Thielfoldt’s company and the company’s CFO, Tate Thielfoldt.
The Receipts:
“Jim Hagedorn can’t generate positive coverage of his corrupt image, so he paid Al Thielfoldt to toss him softball questions in a desperate attempt to cover up the mountain of scandals surrounding him,” said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller. “No matter how much he pays Al Thielfoldt, Minnesotans know that Hagedorn is a crook who is out for himself and his Big Money donors. Both Hagedorn and Thielfoldt should come clean about their relationship and financial ties because voters deserve to know that those interviews were a sham.”
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