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Sviggum agrees to resign as university regent

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Mar 8, 2012 at 12:43 pm

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - A University of Minnesota regent has given up his position on the board after its members forced Steve Sviggum to choose between his regent post or his job with the Senate Republican Caucus.

Conflict-of-interest questions have dogged Sviggum since he took the GOP job as communications director in January. The St. Paul Pioneer Press (http://bit.ly/xcDa3x ) says the board voted unanimously Thursday to force Sviggum to make a choice.

A three-member regents' panel concluded last week that Sviggum had a conflict holding both positions. Sviggum disagreed and told the committee he didn't intend to resign.

But Thursday, Sviggum passed out a resignation letter after board chairwoman Linda Cohen asked him to step down. Sviggum's letter said he respected the view of the regents, even if he didn't agree with them.