ST. PAUL, Minn. — A six-term Republican legislator, Ron Kresha, has been accused of fraud to cash in on forgivable federal loans in 2020 for employees he didn’t have. If convicted, Kresha could go to jail. About the allegations, Kresha said: “Politically motivated and false.” The allegation is that Kresha filed for $300,000 in emergency loans from the U.S. Paycheck Protection Program, which was designed to rescue small businesses in jeopardy during the CoVid pandemic. The suit was filed by Troy Scheffler, who himself has run for the Legislature, unsuccessfully, as a candidate of the far-right America First Party. The suit is novel: It seeks recovery of funds on behalf of the U.S. government under the federal False Claims Act even though the government has not involved itself in the case. There are factual discrepancies for the court to sort through:

> Scheffler asserts that Kresha claimed he needed CoVid relief funds to meet payroll, listing 17 employes in one application and 20 in another.

> In another context and for another purpose, says Scheffler, Kresha has claimed he has no employees, only independent contractors.

> Kresha’s marketing and consulting company, Golden Shovel, currently shows a team of 63 person, each with a professional portrait.

Verbatim

Kresha: On his protagonist: Scheffler “has a pattern of filing frivolous lawsuits and has proven to be an unreliable source of information. Anyone can file a lawsuit, and anyone can allege anything, even lies.”

Website: Golden Shovel Agency of Little Falls. Population 9,900. In  Morrison County.

Kresha. First elected to Minnesota House 12 years ago. Age 55.

Electoral history

> 2012: Elected from House District 9-B by 53%.

> 2014: By 56%.

> 2016: By 72%.

 > 2018: By 72%.

> 2020: By 77%.

> 2022: By 97% (unopposed)

> 2024: By 71% (District renumbered to 10-A)

House roles

Current House assignments: Education and Finance Committee, Ways and Means Committee. Policy positions: Pro-life. “Maintaining a competitive business environment to promote economic prosperity.”  “St. Paul is driving too many decisions for our schools and we don’t trust our local officials enough. That needs to change.”