The Minnesota DFL Code of Conduct Committee is a standing committee of the State DFL Party. It reviews and resolves complaints under the Code and recommends changes that strengthen it.
The committee supports respectful participation, organizational accountability, and consistent standards of conduct.
Under the current DFL Rule Book, the committee consists of 13 members elected by the State Executive Committee from among its members. At least five must be from counties outside Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey, Dakota, and Washington counties. At least one must be an attorney or human resources professional experienced in personnel matters.
Jennifer Cronin — Pipestone County, CD7
Quentin Wathum-Ocama — SD64, CD4
Designated Attorney Member
JP Barone — SD36, CD4
Other Committee Members
Bonnie Bina — Douglas County, CD7
Deb Ford — SD61, CD5
Wayne Grimmer — SD31, CD6
Jim Hepworth — Dakota 20/58, CD2
Mindy Kimmel — Blue Earth County, CD1
Brooke Raeker — SD44, CD4
John Swanson — SD25, CD1
Ginka Tarnowski — SD08, CD8
Bethany Winkels — SD52, CD2
Scott Yeazle — SD08, CD8
Ex-Officio Member
Richard Carlbom — Minnesota DFL State Chair
The co-chairs coordinate the work, oversee initial report review, assign matters, and carry out responsibilities established by the Rules of Procedure.
Review Boards examine assigned reports, gather relevant information, conduct hearings when necessary, and issue findings and decisions.
The Full Committee reviews designated decisions and directly considers specified matters under the rules. The wider Party governance structure includes State Executive Committee review under applicable documents.
Decision-makers must consider relevant evidence, follow adopted procedures, and identify potential conflicts. Concerns about Review Board conflicts may be raised with committee leadership.
Members involved in reviews or hearings may be required to recuse themselves from subsequent State Executive Committee consideration of appeals.
The committee recommends refinements to the Code, learns from its work, evaluates procedural challenges, and strengthens the Party’s ability to prevent and address harmful behavior. Our aim is a DFL where accountability, safety, fairness, and meaningful participation reinforce one another.
Contact the Committee
For process questions or to submit an incident report:
conduct@dfl.org
Please direct questions about active proceedings through official communication channels rather than contacting individual committee members.