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Minnesota’s legislative auditor released its report on the hiring of Erin DuPree as Minnesota’s first cannabis director last fall.
The governor’s office missed some standard background check steps before its botched appointment of Erin DuPree as Minnesota’s first cannabis director last fall, the state’s legislative auditor concluded Thursday.
DuPree, who owned an Apple Valley retail store selling hemp-derived cannabis products, stepped down a day after Gov. Tim Walz appointed her amid reports she sold illegal products and had federal tax liens and judgments against her. State Legislative Auditor Judy Randall’s preliminary assessment of the matter outlined missteps, recommended improvements that the governor’s office said it has since made, and declared the case closed.
Randall’s main takeaway was a missed review from the state Department of Revenue that could have uncovered the liens and judgments against DuPree.
DuPree and another finalist signed consent forms authorizing background checks by the state Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Department of Revenue.
The report states that the governor’s office assumed the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension within DPS would work with the Revenue Department on its background checks of the finalists. When the BCA sent a summary background report stating DuPree “did not have any noteworthy financial obligations or debts,” the governor’s office thought she was in the clear.
But the BCA didn’t coordinate with the Department of Revenue and instead used a separate financial background check system that missed some key information.
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