Former GOP gubernatorial candidate Scott Jensen filed separate lawsuits Tuesday against the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice and Attorney General Keith Ellison, alleging they worked together on "politically motivated" investigations into his medical license.
Jensen, a Chaska physician, said he was repeatedly investigated by the medical board for public statements he made about COVID-19, and all complaints were later dismissed.
Those statements included comments encouraging civil disobedience against vaccine mandates, opposing children wearing masks in schools and vowing to reshape the board if elected governor.
Jensen accused the board of attempting to chill his speech and said it should not have begun investigations into his medical license over his political statements.
He questioned whether the probes hurt his unsuccessful campaign against DFL Gov. Tim Walz last year, noting that Walz used the investigations to attack him.
"I think it cost me dearly from a reputational standpoint, potentially impacting somewhat on the governor's race. We'll never know that," Jensen said during a news conference. "In the end, I think it was about bullying. … It was about, if you dare to disagree, you're in trouble."
The lawsuit against the board says the investigations revolved around Jensen's public statements, not his patient care or treatment.
The board did not respond to a request for comment.