Former SW Minneapolis City Council Member Under Fire

Sometimes, politicians are castigated for acting like children, but according to recent accusations against a developer who once represented Southwest Minneapolis on the Minneapolis City Council, sometimes that behavior goes beyond simple pouting and temper tantrums.

The Star Tribune is reporting that Steve Minn, former City Council member for Ward 13, allegedly used multiple fake online personas to attack business rival Kelly Doran. Doran brought the accusations—and an inch-think stack of related documents—to the city's attention earlier this week. Doran alleges that Minn created at least three personas to post attacks on Doran on the local E-Democracy forum and to lobby City Council members to deny Doran an environmental cleanup grant. 

If true, the accusations make Minn sound less like a successful businessman and more like a teenager.

Minn left his City Council seat in 1999. He currently has a seat on the board of the city's public housing authority, and like all developers he works closely with city staff when seeking approval for projects run by his firm, Lupe Development.

"I deeply regret my lack of good judgment in using pseudonyms," Minn said in a statement issued to the paper. "I hope that by acknowledging these facts, I will be able to re-earn the trust of city officials and continue my positive relationship with them."

Read more details about the allegations at the Star Tribune.