Campaign manager for Duluth mayor cleared of legal wrongdoing

DULUTH – An external investigation found that Amber Gurske’s communication with city staff on behalf of Mayor Roger Reinert didn’t violate city policy or any laws, according to a report released Thursday.

The city of Duluth hired Michelle Soldo’s Twin Cities-based consulting firm to investigate following the completion of an internal investigation. That was authorized in October after media, including the Minnesota Star Tribune, detailed several emails that Gurske, Reinert’s campaign manager and significant other, was involved in direction of staff beginning at the start of Reinert’s term in January. It ranged from coordination of his involvement in President Joe Biden’s January visit to asking a city staffer to complete research.

Legal experts said her actions were unethical and potentially illegal, and could have raised conflict of interest and accountability accusations. Soldo wrote that their opinions and allegations that stemmed from them were based on incomplete information, inaccurate speculation and conjecture. Gurske’s work as a volunteer who serves as Reinert’s personal social media agent and manager of his personal calendar is not “improper or illegal,” she said, with no records indicating transfer of information outside of Reinert’s calendar and social media material. The report says Reinert relied on Gurske during the period between his dismissal of former Mayor Emily Larson’s at-will staff and the hiring of their replacements to attend his public appearances and coordinate his personal and mayoral calendars. None of those activities are barred by city policy or law, she said.

Information exchanged “was the level of support needed by the new mayor who had limited staff support for a period of four months, no prior experience serving as a mayor and a steep and robust learning curve,” Soldo wrote, also noting no evidence was found that Gurske had access to city passwords, databases or other confidential city data.

There was an online Google document shared by Reinert, Gurske, his executive assistants and other mayoral staff, created to track his official and personal activities. It wasn’t updated by Gurske, Soldo wrote, and was considered public information.

She noted that after Gurske asked public information officer Kelli Latuska to research something for her, Latuska told Gurske she would speak to Reinert directly about it, the investigation found, “setting a clear professional boundary without criticism or consequence.”

Reinert’s staff understood that Gurske was acting as an approved “surrogate” for him, the report says.

Emails obtained via a public records request in September detail Gurske’s requests to the city’s public information officer and Reinert’s former assistant.

Soldo’s investigation included review of staff text messages, emails and call logs, along with interviews.

A news release from the city says the findings are consistent with the internal investigation.

“Ms. Gurske did not violate any legal or ethical standards, nor did anyone on our team violate City codes or the City charter,” Reinert said in the release. “I am gratified the clear findings of this report can now bring this matter to a conclusion.”

Gurske, 33, is a business development and marketing manager for Superior, Wis.-based Amsoil. Emails show she offered a city staffer ideas and copy for social media topics to be covered by Reinert, coordinated a potential mayoral proclamation, reviewed a news release and asked his assistant the nature of a meeting Reinert was taking when it was requested to be added to his schedule. Gurske was also on a panel that interviewed a candidate for a senior adviser role for Reinert’s office, and acted as his staff at a local elementary school where he read to students, emails show.

In a statement Thursday, she said she “asked for nothing and received nothing,” for her volunteer work for the mayor. “But as a result of the story last fall I have been the target for months of near daily online harassment and bullying” causing “real harm” to her personally and professionally.

“I have no official or unofficial role with the city of Duluth,” Gurske said. “But, I am intelligent and pay attention and have the right to my thoughts and opinions just like any other Duluthian. And yes, you will see me with Roger. We enjoy being active and involved in the community, and we enjoy attending events together. Given his schedule it’s sometimes the only way we get to spend time together.”

The statement says Gurske is considering her legal options.

City Council President Roz Randorf said she was pleased an external review was sought for accountability, and the findings gave her confidence nothing illegal or unethical had transpired.

“There could have possibly been some better judgments, right?” she said. “Everyone’s learned a very valuable lesson about communication and about boundaries and about proper roles. And now we’re ready to move forward.”

Reinert, 54, who is also a licensed attorney and active member of the U.S. Navy Reserve, has served on the Duluth City Council and in both chambers of the Minnesota Legislature.