ST. AUL, Minn. – An audit found that the president of Minnesota State College Southeast misled investigators when she claimed that the energy company Xcel had offered her a ticket package to Wild hockey games. The report on investigating Marsha Danielson said that an email was found in which Danielson in fact had solicited the tickets. The tickets are among issues in a larger disciplinary review of Danielson, who has been president of the joint Winona-Red Wing college since 2021. The value of the tickets was not stated in the heavily redaccted audit report, but tickets to Wild games range from $42 a game in the nose-bleed section to $423 in a rink-side suite. Season packages are $13,800. State policies forbid accepting gifts other than those of “nominal value.” The investigation was conducted by state college system’s Office of Internal Auditing. Separately Danielson was accused also of using a state car for commuting. She has offered to reimburse the state for the mileage as well as to reimburse Xcel for the hockey tickets. As president of the college. Danielson earns $188,000. Danielson, age 60, lives in Lake City, midway between Winona and Red Wing. Unstated in the audit report was whether the audit began as a routine procedure or whether it was triggered by a tipster. Danielson also has been under a separate investigation after four subordinates reported insults and profanity and being degraded in the workplace.
Doubts on explanation
Danielson told investigators initially that she viewed the Wild tickets as a business or networking function, the report said. Patty Sifferle, who was contracted to investigate the Danielson case, was uncredulous at Danielson’s explanation that she was unaware that the tickets violated state policies. The explanation, Sifferle said, “defied logic” given Danielson’s 25 years working for state college system and having attended countless required training sessions on ethics.
National Hockey League. The Wild’s home rink is the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
Seating. Capacity 18,000.
