Letter from the FOP regarding Teamster attacks on MNPEA attorney Rob Fowler

Members Of The Minnesota Fraternal Order Of Police:

As some of you know, our general counsel Robert Fowler has been working hard to add membership to our organization. He is general counsel to a new labor union, MNPEA, that will bring roughly 250 officers into the FOP and our Legal Defense Plan (LDP) this year alone. MNPEA is not officially affiliated with the FOP - we remain unaffiliated with any labor group, but MNPEA will be offering to it's sworn law enforcement members the FOP's LDP. Many of the bargaining groups being brought into MNPEA are from the Teamsters.

Recently, bulk emails were sent out by a group sponsored by Teamsters 320 that is trying to discredit MNPEA's Business Agents and our own FOP Attorney. The emails state Mr. Fowler was fired from his previous employer and has been accused by the MN Attorney General's Office for stealing money from the FOP. I understand that any labor group has a right to maintain their membership numbers, but I take exception to this false accusation. Fowler's contract with the FOP started in 2005.

We have always had a system in place where we pay Mr. Fowler a flat rate for each LDP member, plus an annual vehicle allowance that started several years ago. He has never had access to our bank accounts or finances. Paul and I can say with absolute certainty that Rob Fowler has never stolen money from our organization - that would be impossible.

As your President, I contacted the AG's Office and even though they could not comment directly on this accusation, I was told that their office "would not investigate this type of complaint". I can also state with certainty that Mr. Fowler was not fired from his previous law job with Pat Kelly's Office, this was acknowledged during the bidding process for the FOP contract.

We are concerned because these false emails could cause our own members to question whether our organization or legal defense plan are worthwhile. Our legal defense plan and the services offered by our attoney are without question invaluable, and Mr. Fowler has always maintained high integrity. Please forward this out to your fellow lodge members and correctly inform anyone in your workplaces who may have heard this type of false misinformation. Let them know that the accusations are false.

As President, I also feel that you should know that there is a new labor union option out there. Mr. Fowler is MNPEA's general counsel so you will be assured quality legal representation. We have had some issues in the past with Teamsters coming close to crossing the line into FOP matters, and I feel that this latest attack clearly does cross that line. I feel you should question whether representation by Teamsters is appropriate for you, as law enforcement officers, when such clearly false and defamatory accusations are being made against our FOP attorney.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and feel free to contact Treasurer Dooley or myself if you have questions.

Gary Cayo
MN FOP President

Paul Dooley
MN FOP Treasurer