Who leaked gambling report

Associated Press DULUTH — The state's legislative auditor is seeking an investigation into the premature release by Mayor Herb Bergson to the Duluth News Tribune of a draft report on the Minnesota Council on Compulsive Gambling. Jim Nobles sent a letter to St. Louis County Attorney Alan Mitchell this month saying Bergson may have violated a state law that prohibits public officials from releasing draft reports from the legislative auditor's office. The letter said Bergson apparently was involved in the report getting to the News Tribune, which published the key findings before the final report came out. "Mayor Bergson has taken responsibility for the (News) Tribune obtaining a copy of the draft and apologized to my office,'' Nobles wrote. "Nevertheless, this violation of Minnesota law should not be overlooked and I request that you investigate and take whatever actions you determine appropriate.'' The News Tribune reported on the June 6 letter in today's editions. Mitchell told the newspaper on Thursday that he probably doesn't have the authority to conduct the investigation, if one is warranted. Misdemeanors are generally handled by city prosecutors, the county attorney said. "I still have to look at it, but I'm guessing we won't be doing anything,'' Mitchell said. Bryan Brown, Duluth's city attorney, also received a copy of Nobles' letter. He was not available to comment Thursday, the newspaper said, but in correspondence with a city councilor earlier this month, he said Bergson had not committed any crime. Claudia Gudvangen, deputy legislative auditor, said there had been a few violations of the draft report law in recent years but she could not recall anyone being prosecuted for it. The report on the Duluth-based Minnesota Council on Compulsive Gambling dealt with state and city funds aimed at gambling intervention programs, after questions were raised by city officials. The draft's findings were nearly identical to the final report released June 3, which found among other things that the council received payments not allowed under state or city contracts, and that some of the council's products and services under state contract did not meet expectations and were late. The city council voted in January not to renew the group's $143,000 city contract after Bergson questioned Executive Director Betty George's $109,000 annual salary.