ATTORNEY GENERAL:
An Inventory of Its Hennepin County Special Investigation Files at the Minnesota Historical Society
Government Records
OVERVIEW
| Creator: | Minnesota. Attorney General. | |
| Title: | Hennepin County Special Investigation Files. | |
| Dates: | 1967-1977. | |
| Language: | Materials in English. | |
| Abstract: | During the period 1975-1976, the Attorney General's office and the State Auditor's office conducted an extensive investigation and audit of alleged improprieties and misuse of government funds in the construction of the Hennepin County Government Center and the Hennepin County Medical Center, and into the legality of travel and expense reimbursements obtained by various Hennepin County officials. This file (AG file 75-194-160) includes correspondence, chronologies of events, Hennepin County grand jury reports, newspaper clippings, subject files, testimony transcripts, and depositions gathered during the investigation and audit; the case was not taken to court. | |
| Quantity: | 5.3 cubic feet (6 boxes). | |
| Location: | See Detailed Description for shelf locations. |
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
Also included are court documents, exhibits, and correspondence (AG case file 76-193-160) concerning the State Auditor's claim for unpaid services rendered to Hennepin County for the audit; this case was settled in court.
During the course of these investigations, new evidence was discovered relevant to a previous grand jury investigation into the management of the River Villa Convalescent Medicenter (nursing home). The same grand jury impaneled in the Hennepin County investigation was then authorized to investigate the new River Villa charges, which centered on improprieties by the home's owners and state legislators in seeking a state bank charter and in attempting to finance the home's sale via the issuance of tax-free bonds. The file includes the grand jury report, testimony, and a few related materials. This investigation resulted in several indictments and subsequent convictions.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Availability:
The collection is open for research use.
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Minnesota. Attorney General. Hennepin County Special Investigation Files. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.
Accession Information:
Accession numbers: 989-55; 992-172
Processing Information:
Catalog ID number: 990017131390104294
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
NO. 75-194-160. HENNEPIN COUNTY SPECIAL INVESTIGATION RECORDS, 1968-1976.
| Box | |||||||||||||
| 120.G.17.2F | 1 | Grand Jury reports, 1976. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Hennepin County grand jury reports regarding the Government Center, Medical Center, travel of county officials, and improper use of office by elected state officials. | |||||||||||||
| Hennepin County Government Center: | |||||||||||||
| Chronology of events files, 1967-1975, compiled 1975-1976. 56 folders. | |||||||||||||
| Clippings, memos, correspondence, contract documents, footage and cost calculations, and related materials documenting stages in courthouse planning, design, and construction. Nearly all are photocopies from county or other files. | |||||||||||||
| Project development report, 1967-1975, November 10, 1975. 1 volume. | |||||||||||||
| Findings, conclusions, and recommendations made as a result of studies of requirements for space from 1975 until 1990. Compiled by SUA, Inc. | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| 120.G.17.3B | 2 | File index, 1975. 1 folder. | |||||||||||
| File review reports, 1975. 1 expansion folder. | |||||||||||||
| Master correspondence files, 1975-1977. 2 folders. | |||||||||||||
| Master miscellaneous memoranda, 1975-1976. 3 folders. | |||||||||||||
| TV/radio show transcripts, 1975-1976. 2 folders. | |||||||||||||
| Newspaper clippings, 1975-1976. 1 folder. | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| 120.G.17.4F | 3 | Interim audit report and responses, 1975. 3 folders. | |||||||||||
| Transmittals to Hennepin County Special Grand Jury, June 7, 1976, August 23, 1976. 2 folders. | |||||||||||||
| Correspondence/memoranda by subject or correspondent, 1975-1977. 45 folders. | |||||||||||||
| Miscellaneous correspondence, 1975-1976. 4 folders. | |||||||||||||
| Most items are probably duplicated in other files. Many are labeled and numbered as exhibits. | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| 120.G.17.5B | 4 | Depositions/testimony transcripts, 1975-1976. 5 folders. | |||||||||||
| Of Stanley Cowle, Michael J. Iannacone, Walter Jacobs, Bruce Jacobs, Clifford H. Morse, Earl Neville, Edward Portka, Edward Tower, Gerald F. Weiszhaar, and Dale Ackman. They relate to both the Government Center and the Medical Center. | |||||||||||||
| Court case exhibits, 1967-1975. 8 folders: | |||||||||||||
| Regarding Government Center construction and furnishing. This is an incomplete set, transferred to the State Archives from the offices of the Hennepin County administrator. Additional items identified as exhibits are found scattered throughout the other investigation files. | |||||||||||||
| Ackmann exhibits. 2 folders. | |||||||||||||
| Exhibit nos. 13, 20-26, 28-29, 32, 48, 50-51. | |||||||||||||
| Cowle exhibits. 3 folders. | |||||||||||||
| Exhibit nos. E-1, f, h, i, l, m, n, o, p, w, ww, and z. Includes correspondence for 1974. | |||||||||||||
| R. E. Hanson exhibits. 2 folders. | |||||||||||||
| Exhibit nos. 8-11, 16, 16a, 17a, 18, 19, 22, 24, 26-29, 31-32. | |||||||||||||
| Robb exhibit no. 6; Provo exhibit no. 9; Falstad exhibit no. 4; Bud Peterson exhibits no. 2 and 5. 1 folder. | |||||||||||||
| Hennepin County officials' travel: | |||||||||||||
| Depositions, 1975. 3 folders. | |||||||||||||
| Of Stanley Cowle, Richard Hanson, Thomas Olson, Jack Provo, and Thomas Ticen. | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| 120.G.17.6F | 5 | Hennepin County Medical Center: | |||||||||||
| Chronology, 1963-1975, compiled 1976. 1 folder. | |||||||||||||
| File review reports, 1975. 1 folder. | |||||||||||||
| Newspaper clippings and related items, 1968-1975. 1 folder. | |||||||||||||
| Miscellaneous correspondence, 1972-1975. 1 folder. | |||||||||||||
| Subject files by topic or correspondent, 1971-1976. 10 folders. | |||||||||||||
| Testimony transcripts, 1975-1976. 1 folder. | |||||||||||||
| Of Stanley Cowle and Arthur Whitney. | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| 131.D.16.9B | 6 | River Villa Nursing Home: | |||||||||||
| Grand Jury report, 1975. 1 folder. | |||||||||||||
| Statement of Flackne (Hennepin County Attorney) on Grand Jury report, 1975. 1 folder. | |||||||||||||
| State Auditor, 1975-1976. 1 folder. | |||||||||||||
| Testimony transcripts/depositions, 1975-1976. | |||||||||||||
| Of Sanford Bettcher, H. Leonard Boche, Stanley Cowle, Richard E. Dreher, Jr., Judy Gooden, Sandy Mackenzie, David E. Mikkelson, Helge Olson, Phillip R. Peterson, Richard D. Schultz, and Joseph Strangis. | |||||||||||||
| (Box half empty). | |||||||||||||
NO. 76-193-160: STATE V HENNEPIN COUNTY
| Box | |||||||||||||
| 120.G.17.6F | 5 | Pleadings, 1975-1977. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Exhibits, 1975-1977. 3 folders. | |||||||||||||
| Memos/correspondence, 1975-1977. 2 folders. | |||||||||||||
| Proceedings transcript, December 1976. 1 folder. | |||||||||||||
| Miscellaneous, 1975-1977. 1 folder. | |||||||||||||
| (Box part empty). | |||||||||||||
RELATED MATERIAL
CATALOG HEADINGS
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
- Topics:
- Corruption investigation -- Minnesota.
- Government lending -- Law and legislation -- Minnesota.
- Mortgage bonds, Tax-exempt -- Law and legislation -- Minnesota.
- Nursing homes -- Minnesota -- Administration.
- Nursing homes -- Minnesota -- Complaints against.
- Nursing homes -- Law and legislation -- Minnesota -- Criminal provisions.
- Organizations:
- Hennepin County Government Center.
- Hennepin County Medical Center.
- Minnesota. State Auditor.
- River Villa Convalescent Medicenter (Minneapolis, Minn.).
- River Villa Nursing Home (Minneapolis, Minn.).
- Places:
- Hennepin County (Minn.) -- Officials and employees -- Travel regulations.
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