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The DFL candidate said a Wall Street Journal article that Flanagan was not qualified to be a member of Phi Beta Kappa was inaccurate and that she had been a member since 2002.
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Peggy Flanagan provided proof Wednesday of her membership in an academic honor society, calling into question a national publication’s report that she inflated her qualifications.
The shocking twist follows a report earlier today in the Wall Street Journal that Flanagan was not qualified to be a member of Phi Beta Kappa when she graduated from college. The company contacted Flanagan’s campaign to provide proof of her membership since 2002, when she graduated from the University of Minnesota.
“I guess it’s because they saw the graduation schedule, which didn’t say that,” Flanagan told Fox 9 in response to the Journal’s report. She said this information was inaccurate and that she had been a member since 2002.
Flanagan’s campaign shared a screenshot of his membership status.
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A screenshot shared by the Senate campaign for DFL Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan shows her membership in the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. A Wall Street Journal article published October 21 claimed that Flanagan was not a member.
Courtesy of the Flanagan campaign
The campaign also shared a statement from Phi Beta Kappa’s chief operating officer.
“I can verify that Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, having been inducted in 2002 at the University of Minnesota,” Amber Cox said, according to the campaign statement.
The entire episode highlights how Minnesota’s Senate race could climb on Republicans’ national radar as they cling to a slim majority and risk losses elsewhere. Opposition research, a staple of campaigns, tends to be filtered out when races are considered as competitive as recent polls have done. New outside spending targeting Flanagan has also been pouring in lately after a sleepy campaign since she and Republican Michele Tafoya clinched their nominations in August.
The Journal’s story was based on a comment Flanagan made during a 2016 hearing, while she was serving in the Legislature.
According to the Legislature’s online daily update, Session Daily, Flanagan said she earned the honor during a hearing on education innovation.
“Everything changed, there was a shift, something clicked,” she said. “I graduated Phi Beta Kappa because I saw myself reflected in my teacher and in my program.”
The Journal reported that the commencement program for Flanagan’s 2002 class at the University of Minnesota did not list Flanagan as an honors student.
It is clear, however, that the Flanagan-Tafoya race is attracting more attention in recent days.
In recent weeks, national groups have spent $1.1 million against Flanagan. In total, approximately $2.7 million in independent expenditures were spent this general election. That pales in comparison to many other hotly contested Senate races nationwide.
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