Pat [Awada] Anderson, an organizer of tea party events in Minnesota,was a 2010 gubernatorial candidate until former Sen. Norm Coleman became “a factor” in the race. (Coleman never said he was running for governor, but did spend a few weeks hinting to the press that he might.) On January 12, 2010, Pat Anderson quit the governor’s race and announced she would instead run for state auditor (a position to which she failed to be reelected in 2006 when she lost by over 10%).

Cheating consumers

One reason Anderson may have failed in her reelection campaign was her involvement with a telecom company that was found to be cheating consumers in 2003. According to the Pioneer Press:

“Awada [Pat Anderson] owned Capitol Verification, a company that checked New Access orders to make sure consumers truly wanted to change their telephone service. But regulators found her firm sometimes failed in that role. Awada in January sold the company to one of the founders of New Access and was paid, in part, with stock in the parent company.”

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