Indian lawmaker in Minnesota governor's race discloses 'private' relationship

Friday, January 12, 2018  

Rep. Peggy Flanagan (D), a citizen of the White Earth Nation who is on the gubernatorial ticket in Minnesota, is coming forward with news about her "private" life.

Flanagan said she "recently" began a relationship with Tom Weber, a journalist with Minnesota Public News. She also said she went through a "difficult process of divorce" last year, at a time when her political fortunes continued to rise.

"I look forward continuing the work I’m passionate about, talking to Minnesotans about the issues that matter most to them and their families in 2018," Flanagan wrote in a post on her personal Facebook page on Friday.

Flanagan is running to serve as lieutenant governor with Tim Walz as governor. In her post, she said she informed the campaign about her relationship.

Weber did the same at Minnesota Public News and has been removed as host of a morning show, The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. He won't be covering any aspects of the governor's race and related political topics as a result.

Flanagan gained national prominence as a major speaker at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, where she discussed the importance of her Ojibwe heritage to her daughter. She also spoke at the Native Nations Rise rally in Washington, D.C., in March 2017.

The election in Minnesota takes place November 6.

Read More on the Story:
A note from MPR News [Peggy Flanagan and Tom Weber] (Minnesota Public Radio January 12, 2018)
MPR's Tom Weber reassigned because of romantic relationship with Peggy Flanagan (The Minneapolis Star Tribune January 12, 2018)