2005 Minnesota Statutes - 211B.06 — False political and campaign material; penalty; exceptions.

     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. 


    HIST: 1988 c 578 art 3 s 6; 1998 c 376 s 3