Alliegro warns candidates about illegal signs

By Barbara Brown
Chisago County Attorney Ted Alliegro sent a letter in August to all campaigners warning them that if corporations display campaign signs on their property, the corporation could be punished by the state.
Alliegro said Monday that a candidate had called his office a couple months ago and asked about a state law that forbids corporations, or business classified as ìincorporated,î from displaying signs.
Alliegro said he was not even aware of such a statue and he called the Minnesota Secretary of Stateís Office to investigate.
What he found was an interesting bit of campaigning law.
It turned out that statute ß211B.15 states that a corporation may not place a political sign on its premises because it is considered a political contribution.
The law applies to businesses classified as: corporations organized for profit that does business in Minnesota, nonprofit corporations that carries out activities in Minnesota and limited liability companies formed under chapter 322B that does business in Minnesota.
Violations of the law put the corporation at risk for dissolution, according to the statute. Criminal penalties also can be sought against corporation representatives as well as anyone who puts up the sign, like a candidate.
The letter from Alliegro, while it did not have any specific incidents to site, served mostly as a warning to corporations and candidates to watch where they put signs.
The letter includes a reminder that signs are not allowed in the right of way of any state, county, city or township roadway.
The county highway department and the local public works department have the right to remove signs in rights of way.

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