Matt Birk Caught Spreading Election Conspiracies

St. Paul, MN - Yesterday, Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Jensen’s running mate, Matt Birk, was caught spreading conspiracy theories about the 2022 election and advocating for violence during a campaign event in Saint Paul.

“Matt Birk’s comments promote baseless conspiracy theories about our elections and attempt to sow distrust in the outcome of the 2022 election,” said Marissa Luna, Executive Director of Alliance for a Better Minnesota. “Time and time again, Scott Jensen has promoted reckless lies about the validity and security of our elections, and Birk’s comments make clear that he is following suit. We need leaders we can trust, not Scott Jensen and Matt Birk, whose lies and extremism are dangerous for Minnesota.”

In the video of Birk speaking at an event in Saint Paul, he says, “People ask me…is the election gonna be fair? Do you think they’re gonna cheat? I’d be disappointed if they didn’t try to cheat on Election Day.” He also advocated for violence against people holding him accountable for his extreme comments saying, “What do you do to a bully? You punch them right in the mouth.”

In 2014, a video showed former Baltimore Ravens football player Ray Rice attacking his fiancee in an elevator, hitting her, and dragging her unconscious body from the elevator. Matt Birk, who retired with the Baltimore Ravens in 2013, commented on the Ray Rice situation, saying, "Ray is a great guy and the situation is unfortunate."

Scott Jensen has a long track record of spreading conspiracy theories about election integrity. He refuses to say that Joe Biden was legitimately elected and threatened jail time for and spread baseless conspiracies about Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon.

Scott Jensen has also been caught spreading dangerous conspiracies about COVID-19. Jensen has been investigated five times by the Minnesota state medical board for spreading COVID-19 conspiracy theories and giving reckless medical advice. And in June 2022, he threatened the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice with political retaliation for their investigations if elected governor.

In December 2020, Kaiser Health News called Scott Jensen’s COVID-19 comments the “Lie of the Year.” In a 2020 Star Tribune story, the director of medical ethics at New York University’s school of medicine called Jensen’s COVID-19 comments problematic and politically driven.