Republican activist Luke Hellier, in an apparent attempt to taint my Republican street creds, reports on the website Minnesota Democrats Exposed that I have “donated thousands of dollars to DFL candidates” (see full report below).

Hellier’s account is misleading in that he refers to Democratic “candidates” (in the plural) and fails to note — though he does provide clickable links to FEC fundraising reports — that my donations went to just one candidate — my friend Patty Wetterling, with whom I share the common purpose of solving local missing person cases, including Jacob Wetterling and St. John’s University student Joshua Guimond (see “Related reports” links farther down).

In truth, I’m grateful to Mr. Hellier for disseminating the information (whatever his motives), considering my strategy to retire Bachmann relies heavily on a strong Democratic cross-over vote.

I hope that come election time, Democrats will remember that Republican Aubrey Immelman — at a whopping $5,600 — was one of community safety advocate Patty Wetterling’s largest single private donors in the 6th District, Minnesota, and the United States of America.

Read the Minnesota Democrats Exposed report and click on the images for a larger view:

DFL Donor to Run in Republican Primary Against Bachmann

By Luke Hellier
Minnesota Democrats Exposed
April 8, 2010

Aubrey Immelman who challenged Congresswoman Michele Bachmann in the 2008 Republican Primary announced on his website that he will run against Bachmann again.

Immelman who has donated thousands of dollars to DFL candidates is a professor at St. Johns University.

2004 Donations:

2006 Donations:

Mr. Immelman received 15% in the Republican primary and a couple of votes as a write-in candidate [link added] in the general election.

Over/under on hitting 10% this time?

The Minnesota Independent has the story.

Related reports on this site

Josh Guimond: New Developments (May 24, 2010)

Jacob Wetterling Freedom Walk (Dec. 21, 2009)

Guimond: “Justice for Josh” March (Nov. 9, 2009)

Missing Person Joshua Guimond (Nov. 7, 2009)

Jacob Wetterling 20 Years On (Oct. 22, 2009)

A photo of Jacob Wetterling from 1989, the year he was taken (left), and an age-adjusted image of what he may have looked like at age 29 (right).

Jacob Wetterling Celebration (Oct. 16, 2009)

Patty Wetterling sings with Red Grammer during the “Celebration of Children” concert at the College of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, Oct. 17, 2009. (Photo credit: Adam Hammer / St. Cloud Times)

Wetterling Friend Shares Story (Apr. 28, 2009)

U.S. Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Aaron Larson poses with his fiancée Jackie Tentinger and 2-year-old son, Anikan, as he arrives home April 17, 2009 in Slayton, Minn., after a year-long deployment in Iraq. As an 11-year-old boy in St. Joseph, Aaron was with his best friend Jacob Wetterling when Jacob was kidnapped by a masked gunman on Sunday, Oct. 22, 1989. (Photo credit: Justine Wettschreck — Daily Globe /Associated Press)

Jacob Wetterling Lead Unravels (Jan. 7, 2009)

Vernon Seitz’s Bay View home
(Photo: John Klein / Journal Sentinal)

FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago — April 14, 2009

Al Franken leads by 312

Minnesota Court Rules Al Franken Won

One-year retrospective: One year ago today, I reported that the three-judge panel in the Coleman v. Franken U.S. Senate recount trial issued its final judgment, ruling that Democrat Al Franken won the most votes in his 2008 Senate race against Republican Norm Coleman and is therefore entitled to an election certificate.