Minnesota Legislature
Office of the Revisor of Statutes
2006 Minnesota Statutes
This is an historical version of this statute chapter. Also view the most recent published version.
211B.06 FALSE POLITICAL AND CAMPAIGN MATERIAL; PENALTY; EXCEPTIONS.
Subdivision 1. Gross misdemeanor. A person is guilty of a gross misdemeanor who
intentionally participates in the preparation, dissemination, or broadcast of paid political
advertising or campaign material with respect to the personal or political character or acts of a
candidate, or with respect to the effect of a ballot question, that is designed or tends to elect,
injure, promote, or defeat a candidate for nomination or election to a public office or to promote
or defeat a ballot question, that is false, and that the person knows is false or communicates to
others with reckless disregard of whether it is false.
A person is guilty of a misdemeanor who intentionally participates in the drafting of a
letter to the editor with respect to the personal or political character or acts of a candidate, or
with respect to the effect of a ballot question, that is designed or tends to elect, injure, promote,
or defeat any candidate for nomination or election to a public office or to promote or defeat a
ballot question, that is false, and that the person knows is false or communicates to others with
reckless disregard of whether it is false.
Subd. 2. Exception. Subdivision 1 does not apply to any person or organization whose sole
act is, in the normal course of their business, the printing, manufacturing, or dissemination of
the false information.
History: 1988 c 578 art 3 s 6; 1998 c 376 s 3
Subdivision 1. Gross misdemeanor. A person is guilty of a gross misdemeanor who
intentionally participates in the preparation, dissemination, or broadcast of paid political
advertising or campaign material with respect to the personal or political character or acts of a
candidate, or with respect to the effect of a ballot question, that is designed or tends to elect,
injure, promote, or defeat a candidate for nomination or election to a public office or to promote
or defeat a ballot question, that is false, and that the person knows is false or communicates to
others with reckless disregard of whether it is false.
A person is guilty of a misdemeanor who intentionally participates in the drafting of a
letter to the editor with respect to the personal or political character or acts of a candidate, or
with respect to the effect of a ballot question, that is designed or tends to elect, injure, promote,
or defeat any candidate for nomination or election to a public office or to promote or defeat a
ballot question, that is false, and that the person knows is false or communicates to others with
reckless disregard of whether it is false.
Subd. 2. Exception. Subdivision 1 does not apply to any person or organization whose sole
act is, in the normal course of their business, the printing, manufacturing, or dissemination of
the false information.
History: 1988 c 578 art 3 s 6; 1998 c 376 s 3
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Revisor of Statutes