Senate ethics subcommittee hears complaint alleging Sen. Bobby Joe Champion failed to disclose attorney-client tie in $3M appropriation; advisory opinion adopts

The Minnesota Senate Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct met May 5, 2025, to hear an ethics complaint against Sen. Bobby Joe Champion alleging he failed to disclose an attorney-client relationship with Salem Inc. before sponsoring legislation that directed $3,000,000 in state appropriations to programs tied to that organization. Earlier in the session the subcommittee voted to adopt an advisory opinion related to Senate Rule 55 and disclosure recommendations.

The complaint, presented by Sen. Croon, says Champion was the chief author of multiple appropriation bills — identified in the complaint as Senate File 29 70 and Senate File 30 35 (2023 omnibus) and later Senate File 29 78 (2025) — that included funding routed through the Community Action Partnership of Hennepin County to 21 Days of Peace, a program run by Salem Inc. Croon told the subcommittee that Salem Inc. was Champion’s legal client and that Champion’s sponsorship “constitutes a violation of Senate rules and our code of ethics.”

Why it matters: the subcommittee is weighing whether Champion’s past legal representation and involvement with a nonprofit that later received legislative funding created an appearance of impropriety under Senate rules 56.1 and 56.3 and the Senate code of ethics (section 1.3). Complainants emphasized that the 2023 legislation ultimately directed $3,000,000 to programs that benefitted Salem Inc. and said the Senate and public lacked full information about Salem’s recent litigation and financial history when the appropriation was considered.

What complainants presented: Sen. Croon summarized timelines and court filings, saying…