Matt Entenza
Matt Entenza is a Minnesota lawyer and politician who served six terms in the State House of Representatives and ran for state attorney general. In 2006, he stepped down as the Minnesota State House Democratic Leader.
Entenza studied at Augustana College then transferred to Macalester College. After graduating, he studied law at Oxford University and taught high school. Returning home, he received his J.D. with honors from the University of Minnesota Law School.
After graduating, Entenza clerked for U.S. District Judge Harry McLaughlin. He then joined the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, assigned to the Charities Division. Entenza also concurrently taught law at St. Mary's University. Entenza later joined the Hennepin County Attorney's office, principally prosecuting white-collar crime.
In 1994, Entenza was elected to the Minnesota State House of Representatives from St. Paul, District 64A. He was chief author of the “Do Not Call” law, a consumer privacy initiative.
During his tenure, he served on the K-12 Finance, Education Policy, and Commerce Committees. In 2004, Entenza’s Caucus won 14 legislative seats, resulting in a 68-66 State House divide. He was a 2006 Democratic candidate for Attorney General.
On July 18, 2006, Entenza withdrew his candicacy from the state Attorney General race. Many critics had raised concerns of a conflict of interest due to Entenza's wife Lois Quam's high ranking executive position at UnitedHealth Group, an insurance company that had been investigated by the Attorney General's office under Mike Hatch. Quam has received tens of millions of dollars in stock options alone from United Health.[1] Entenza was also accused of hiring a Chicago based opposition-research firm to look into Hatch's private affairs during his tenure as Attorney General, and then purportedly lying about the scope and cost of the investigation.[2].
Entenza and his wife have been married for 21 years. They have three boys.
External links
- Summary of events leading to Entenza's withdrawal from attorney general race
- Further details on Entenza's ethical problems
- Excellent profile of Entenza
- Official member's website from the Minnesota House of Representatives
- Matt Entenza for Attorney General Minnesotans for Matt campaign website
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