Help fund Government Accountability

Please help me fund Legal Costs to promote local Government Accountability in Federal Court.

Hi, I’m Molly Dennis. I’m a neighbor, parent, educator, volunteer, and citizen who served on Rochester, MN’s City Council. Like others in our community, I live with the invisible disabilities of ADHD and Autism. Despite economic challenges and non-apparent disabilities, I spoke up and ran for public office to amplify voices of our neighbors and those underrepresented within our community.

If you watched recorded Council meetings, you see I refused to bow-down to money, power, or cronyism and fought the minimizing of your voice (objecting to the eliminating virtual/accessible public comments in government meetings and online).

In response to whistleblowing possible corruption, the Mayor and Council majority weaponized the powers of municipal government to silence a sitting elected official, ultimately silencing the voices of the nearly 20,000 residents that I represented.

In response to my honest questions for financial transparency, I was barred from using certain words during Council meetings that may criticize city policies or officials. The City also publicly shamed me and stated that I was not allowed to express opinions of myself or residents (I'm happy to send specific video links from Council meetings and government memos/documents proving these bad faith acts).

Rather than make reasonable accommodations for my ADA disability, as required by Minnesota law, the City staff instead labeled symptoms of my disability as “disruptive” and as a “violations of the Code of Conduct.” When I spoke out, they retaliated even further, going so far as high ranking city staff publicize false defamatory allegations from my personal divorce proceedings. Unable to afford legal counsel, I filed a lawsuit pro se (without counsel). Despite the City of Rochester using their (seemly unlimited) legal insurance funds to hire an expensive outside law firm, it was ruled in December that three of my claims had sufficient cause to proceed to trial. Representational democracy is under attack, right here in our beloved hometown. You now have the chance to help fight back and make a difference! If you believe our government should be held accountable for their wrong doings, if you believe in protecting our civil and constitutional rights, and believe financial transparency is important... this is a time to take action.

City leaders are spending tens of thousands of dollars to fight my lawsuit to hide their bad behavior. It is reasonable to assume the City believes I can never raise the resources to defend our community against this hijacking of democracy. This is where you come in. I have identified an attorney (a respected former elected official), who has agreed to represent me at an extremely low hourly fee, a fraction of what the City's hired law firm attorneys charge. He believes this case is important to protect everyone's democracy and government officials are not above the law. Even at his reduced rates, I need to raise significant funds to take this matter through into federal trial.

I am not wealthy; I am a single parent who stepped up to serve my community and was punished for doing my job. Elected officials work for the residents who elected them, not corporations, special interests, or hired city staff. No citizen should fear vindictive government retaliation for speaking up against injustice, potential fraud, or corruption. No residents should be scared to run for a public office, be ostrosized, or have their constitutional rights violated in retaliation for whistleblowing wasteful spending. I need YOUR help to continue this pursuit of justice to ensure that these wrong doings will never happen to anyone ever again.

Background of this Injustice:

The City Council is residents' direct oversight board of government to uphold your civil and constitutional rights, protect your tax dollars, and ensure government finacial accountability. Shortly after uncovering/calling out potential corruption back in 2022, I was ambushed without due process at a council meeting. City staff crafted a discriminating censure, the harshest and most restricting in MN State's history on March 6, 2023. Drafted by appointed administration staff and without valid merit, this illegal censure used common symptoms of my protected ADA disability as the justification for the unprecedented silencing of an elected official. Using a “gag-order ”like policy and weaponizing the Council rules, the City of Rochester prohibited a sitting public representative from performing their essential tasks as an elected official.

This illegal March 6th censure and bullying behavior following, can be viewed on the city's website archives at www.rochestermn.gov (under Council meetings). Resident’s voices and rights were denied by limiting their elected Council representative access to basic governmental resources and information. This ultimately took away citizens’ their elected participation within their government.

This highly unprecedented censure made it illegal for a sitting council member to correspond with approximately 1,000 government employees concerning basic resident city issues. This meant as an elected official, I no longer had the right to even talk with a police officer about public safety or crime instances. I was not permitted by law to speak with a Rochester firefighter, librarian, staffmember of RPU, or Community Development staff about any city issues. As an elected council representative, I could not discuss with our Parks Department staff about fixing neighborhood playground equipment, tree maintenance, or safety of pools. I couldn't discuss with Public Works staff about neighborhood pothole repairs, sidewalks cracks, or any traffic calming measures to slow speeders. With the exception of just a handfull of high-ranking staff (in writing), I was forbidden from with talking with any City staff about city issues. Everything from homeless concerns, affordable housing, noise violations, environmental issues crime, street repairs, snow removal, or any property tax concerns was made illegal. As an elected official I lost my Constitutional right to free speech.

This illegal censure made it extremely difficult to obtain resident requested information and nearly impossible to get detailed information about the City. I was unable to perform CIA (Council Initiative Actions) due to directives of staff limiting other Councilmembers to work with me thus unable to perform my role as an elected official. This was no typical "slap-on -the-wrist" censure, this March 6th was the harshest restricting handcuff gag-order in MN history deliberately crafted to restrict information. This illegal censure sent a message of fear to anyone who dare question the executive branch (our City Administration) policies. This was ultimately used to control the information an elected official could recieved and the voices of the citizens I represented.

In an attempt to back-file and justify their illegal and discriminating censure, the highest paid city legal staff accessed my personal divorce file to distort family information and spread provable lies to defame me publicly. City administration weaponized and exploited my children and personal family files to victim shame and distort narratives about my family. Using tabloid sensationalism, lies, and propaganda to distract citizens from the government's wrong doings. Once called out, unfounded allegations and blatantly false rumors were used as fear-mongering propaganda in an attempt to cover their illegal censure. Since they could not disprove me, the City and Mayor spread false gossip and criminal defamation to discredit me. Like the famous saying, "if you can't control someone you control (manipulate) how people see them."

I need your support. I want to stand up not only for myself and family, but also for anyone who may relate to my story. Anyone who has been retaliated against, and victim of discriminated, and all those who simply want our government to be financially transparent and honest. This is the time to make a difference.

Due to the nature of the case and protect potential witnesses, I can only share so much information. I have been policed for my words, and I am here to stand governmental accountability. I vow to never sign a non-disclosure, because you deserve to know the truth.

To succeed in court, starting out I need a minimum of $10,000 to retain the federally experienced lawyer and continue this important fight to protect our future from being oppressed. We need to protect our civil and constitutional rights from being violated and silenced.

Why am I asking for money?

I am humbly asking for you help funding legal representation. I have exhausted all of my financial resources and I do not have the means to take out a loan. I have already personally paid thousands toward legal counsel/advice. I have been attempting to fight my case Pro Se, since the cost of an attorney was not attainable. The federal judge has now adopted recommendations of the federal magistrate judge to move this case to trial, thus the need for legal representation is essential. Without legal counsel in a federal trial, I am at even more of a significant disadvantage against a government entity that theoretically has unlimited money and resources.

This is not just an important case for disability rights, this is an important case for government transparency and to protect democracy.

No elected representative should be punished, intimidated, slandered, and personally destroyed for refusing to rubber stamp hired staff’s unjust policies. No one should fear government retaliation for simply speaking up against injustice and corruption. No one should be scared to run for public office or have their basic constitutional rights violated in retaliation for whistleblowing dishonestly.

How will the money be used?

I have been fortunate to be connected with a federally experienced attorney who feels strongly about this case. This attorney has over a decade of experience in elected politics and worked in government law. He understands the unequal advantage that high-powered government authorities have over private civilians. The City of Rochester has an elite law firm funded by their League of MN Cities insurance. I have already been placed at a huge disadvantage financially and need to now level the playing field with your help.

The attorney who will take my case has witnessed firsthand the negative actions of government officials and does not believe any elected representative should be intimidated, harassed, and bullyied into silenced when they do not comply with the administrative status quo.

Due to the immense cost of trial in federal court, this attorney has offered a below market per hour fee with a reasonable retainer starting at $10,000 to go to federal trial. I believe it is important to have expert legal representation when going through the complicated legal system. Especially with the upcoming Discovery process to uncover the truth (call to light the government files/emails/testimony), it takes expertise in obtaining depositions under oath from elected/appointed officials. This attorney has experienced in government law and federal court and understanding the complex legal process to hold government accountable.

I genuinely need your help. The GoFundMe platform allows for anonymous donations. GFM does take a fee, so you can also reach out to me directly by phone, email, or message me on Facebook. Every dollar is recorded and will go directly to this time-sensitive legal fund.

If you believe government needs to be held accountable and be more honest and transparent, I need your help to make that happen. Every dollar is extremely appreciated. Thank you for donating.

If you can’t contribute financially, please share my story. Thank you.