WINONA, Minn. – An attorney accused the Daley dairy family of “political revenge” in suing Winona County Board member Chris Meyer. Attorney John Lesch, representing Meyer, in effect called the suit a stunt to bolster the campaign of former County Administrator Ken Fritz to unseat Meyer on the County Board. Fritz and Meyer are on the general election ballot Tuesday to represent the Winona East Side. Lesch, whose law practice is in St. Paul, suggested an unholy alliance between the Daleys and Fritz, who retired in 2021 as the county administrator after six years. Indeed, Fritz has posted a photo of the head of the Daley family, Ben Daley. on his Facebook campaign page as a supporter. The long-running battle between the county and the Daleys spanned most of Fritz’s tenure as county administrator. As administrator he was answerable to the Board with inside knowledge of county business.
Lesch. St. Paul attorney sees dirty tricks in Daley suit against Chris Meyer in heated Winona Board election contest.
Daley lawsuit
Last week the Daleys filed a lawsuit accusing Meyer and two other Winona County commissioners of colluding to pack the county zoning board to deny a permit to the Daleys for a controversial proposal to quadruple their dairy herd to 6,000 cows.
Verbatim
Lesch: “The basis of the Daley claim is a vote that Meyer took almost four years ago, in January 2019, to confirm the appointment of members to the Board of Adjustment — members who later made decisions that the Daleys didn’t like. The complaint, aside from the fact that it contains no valid legal claims against commissioner Meyer, will be dismissed for its host of legal deficiencies. This fact, and the fact that it was intentionally filed one week before commissioner Meyer’s re-election to the Winona County Board of Commissioners, reveal it as no more than an attempt to influence the election against Commissioner Meyer. On August 17, Commissioner Meyer’s opponent posted a photo of his political supporters, including the plaintiff, Ben Daley, on his Facebook page — illustrating this lawsuit as a tool of political revenge. We expect that this political suit will be dismissed, as it is no more than a legal expenditure to prop up the campaign of her opponent.”