Minnesota Vikings Help Cover the Cost of Innagural Parties for Governor Walz

Governor Tim Walz capped off his first week in office with an inaugural party in Minneapolis on Saturday, treating thousands of Minnesotans to a night of food and performances meant to highlight the state’s diversity and strengths, according to the Star Tribune.

That’s all well and fine. Politicians have parties to thank supporters and volunteers after slogging through seemingly-endless campaign season, and as long as taxpayers are not paying for it, go for it. But if we don’t pay for it, someone else does.

According to the Star Tribune:

The party capped a week of ceremony and celebration for the administration. After being sworn in on Monday at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Walz and Flanagan traveled the state for public receptions in Duluth and Mankato. A final celebration is set for a brewery in Moorhead on Monday.

The cost of the parties will be covered by donations to the One Minnesota Inaugural Committee, a political nonprofit created to fund the inauguration celebrations. A full list of donors was not immediately available, but an event program listed dozens of major companies and labor unions as sponsors, including Best Buy, the Minnesota Vikings and SEIU Healthcare Minnesota.

It makes sense that SEIU Healthcare Minnesota would be among the list of donors, they’re a major labor union, but the Vikings donating is curious. Perhaps they’re looking to secure political support in case they want to hose Minnesota taxpayers for another$348 million dollars, and Minneapolis residents for another $150 million in the next few years.

Skol?