Jennifer Carnahan, the Minnesota GOP Chairwoman, has resigned.
Carnahan, who was elected chair of for the Republican Party of Minnesota in 2017, announced her resignation at a meeting tonight of the Minnesota GOP. The announcement came one week after a federal grand jury indicted Anton Lazzaro, prominent Minnesota Republican operative, on child sex trafficking charges.
Following Lazzaro's arrest, Carnahan faced sharp criticism, accusations, and calls to resign because of her prior relationship with Lazzaro.
Earlier in the week, Carnahan told WCCO Radio's Paul Douglas and Jordana Green that she had no prior knowledge of Lazzaro's alleged criminal activity.
"If you look at our party, we have thousands of donors," Carnahan said. "I have been chair for over four years, I've met so many people around this state that I call political friends… for us to know the personal background of every contributor, every person we meet, even those we have regular contact with, I think to imply this guilt by association is just wrong."
Former Minnesota GOP Executive Director Andy Aplikowski told WCCO Radio's Blois Olson during WCCO Radio Morning News on Thursday that any claims Carnahan made regarding not knowing about Lazzaro's legal issues were, "patently false."
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