{{Short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Tony Cornish | image = | state_house = Minnesota | district = 23B | prior_term = 24B (2003–2013) | term_start = January 7, 2003 | term_end = November 30, 2017 | preceded = Henry Kalis (District 26B) | succeeded = Jeremy Munson | party = Republican | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1951|5|3}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | alma_mater = | occupation = | spouse = | relatives = Jesse Ventura (nephew-in-law) | children = 3 }}
'''Tony Cornish''' (born May 3, 1951) is a retired American police officer and former politician from the Republican Party. He was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. He resigned in disgrace from the Minnesota House on November 30, 2017, following multiple accusations of sexual harassment.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.startribune.com/state-rep-tony-cornish-to-resign-after-harassment-claims/459178703/|title=Minnesota state Rep. Tony Cornish to resign after harassment claims|work=Star Tribune|access-date=2017-12-01}}</ref>
==Early life, education, and career== Cornish was educated at Garden City High School in Garden City Township, Minnesota and has received secondary education. From 1975 to 1977, he served as a police officer for the city of Amboy. From 1977 to 1980, he served as a deputy sheriff for Blue Earth County. In 1980, he became a conservation officer for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, serving 22 years before retiring in 2002. He was the police chief of Lake Crystal from 2007 to 2012.<ref name="state1">{{cite web | url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.aspx?id=10757 | title=Cornish, Tony | publisher=Minnesota Legislative Reference Library | accessdate=November 9, 2017}}</ref>
==Minnesota House of Representatives== Cornish was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2002 and was re-elected in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail?ID=10757|title=Cornish, Tony - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present|website=www.leg.state.mn.us|language=en|access-date=2017-11-29}}</ref> Cornish had a history of treating staff and lobbyists very poorly during his tenure in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Cornish also had a history of using his state issued email for inappropriate messaging of other female representatives and lobbyists and would chastise staff for looking at his email, despite his directions to assist him with email. On November 27, 2017, Cornish submitted his letter of resignation, which became effective at 11:59 p.m. on November 30, 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.willmarradio.com/news/cornish-submits-his-resignation/article_345fd60a-d43c-11e7-9fe5-8333b2a8eb22.html|title=Cornish submits his resignation|last=MNN|work=Willmar Radio|access-date=2017-11-29|language=en}}</ref> In a letter, Cornish apologized to his fellow house members for "bringing a cloud over the House and my friends."<ref name="twincity">{{cite web | url=https://www.twincities.com/2018/02/19/with-tony-cornish-gone-what-will-happen-at-the-legislative-committee-that-talks-about-guns-and-cops| title=Cornish, Tony | date=19 February 2018 | publisher=TwinCities Pioneer Press | accessdate=February 19, 2018}}</ref> He also submitted an inappropriate letter that included a "wish list" for his replacement that went on to argue against anti-cop bills and the need for legislative action that would push cops to obtain their own liability insurance.
==Sexual harassment allegations== {{See also|Me Too movement}} In November 2017, state Rep. Erin Maye Quade and another woman, a lobbyist, accused Cornish of sexually harassing them.<ref name="st_20171110">{{cite news | first1=Jennifer | last1=Bjorhus | url=http://www.startribune.com/two-women-including-fellow-state-lawmaker-accuse-rep-tony-cornish-of-sexual-harassment/456503633/ | title=Minnesota lawmaker, lobbyist accuse Rep. Tony Cornish of sexual harassment | work=Star Tribune | date=November 10, 2017 | accessdate=November 9, 2017 | last2=Coolican | first2=J. Patrick}}</ref> In response, Cornish said that his interaction with Maye Quade was taken out of context and meant as a friendly, joking exchange.<ref name="st_20171110" /> He said the incidents in his office alleged by the lobbyist never happened, though he admitted that he did send her a string of text messages soliciting sex.<ref name="st_20171110" /><ref name="mpr_20171109">{{cite news|last1=Bakst|first1=Brian|title=Rep. Cornish suspended as sex harassment investigation begins|url=https://www.mprnews.org/story/2017/11/09/minnesota-rep-tony-cornish-sexual-harassment-claims|accessdate=November 9, 2017|publisher=Minnesota Public Radio|date=November 9, 2017}}</ref> House Speaker Kurt Daudt suspended Cornish as chairman of the Public Safety Committee following the allegations.<ref name="mpr_20171109" />
Subsequently, former House Speaker Kurt Zellers said that during his time as speaker from 2011 to 2012 he had confronted Cornish about sexually harassing women at the State Capitol and called for him to resign.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Coolican|first1=J. Patrick|last2=Bjorhus|first2=Jennifer|title=Former GOP Speaker says he confronted Rep. Tony Cornish over treatment of women|url=http://www.startribune.com/dfl-lawmakers-candidate-want-a-task-force-on-sexual-harrassment/456670723/|accessdate=November 14, 2017|work=Star Tribune|date=November 10, 2017}}</ref> In interviews with ''MPR News'', 25 people who worked with or around Cornish the past seven years described alleged unwanted sexual advances and unwanted flirtatious contact.<ref>{{cite news | first1=Brian | last1=Bakst | url=https://www.mprnews.org/story/2017/11/17/minn-rep-cornish-conduct-blurred-lawmaker-romance-lines | title=Rep. Cornish blurred boundaries between legislative, sexual pursuits | publisher=Minnesota Public Radio | date=November 17, 2017 | accessdate=November 19, 2017 | last2=Scheck | first2=Tom}}</ref>
==Personal life== Cornish resides in Vernon Center. He is divorced, has three children, and is affiliated with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. In 1990, a Koochiching County judge granted Cornish’s ex-wife, Mary, a domestic abuse protection order against him. They had divorced two years earlier. A copy of the one-year protection order, dated July 23, 1990, offers scant details of the circumstances, saying only that “the evidence justifies issuance of the order.” <ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.startribune.com/ex-wife-of-rep-tony-cornish-once-obtained-domestic-abuse-protection-order-against-him/458940033/|title=Ex-wife of Rep. Tony Cornish once obtained domestic abuse protection order against him|work=Star Tribune|access-date=2018-07-17}}</ref> He is the uncle of former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura's wife, Terry.<ref name="state1"/>
==Electoral history== {{Update|section|date=November 2017}}
'''2010 Minnesota State Representative District 24B'''
''Statewide Voter Turnout TBD %''
Tony Cornish (R), 9621 votes, 63%
Joan Muth-Milks (DFL), 3417 votes, 22%
Mark D. Meyer (I), 2242 votes, 15%
Write-In, 9 votes, 0.05%
'''2008 Minnesota State Representative District 24B'''
''Statewide Voter Turnout 78.49%''
Tony Cornish (R), 10275 votes, 51.18%
John Branstad (DFL), 9781 votes, 48.72%
Write-In, 10 votes, 0.10%
'''2006 Minnesota State Representative District 24B'''<ref>[http://mankatofreepress.com/elections/x519259329/Talking-straight-in-24B?start:int=0 Fischenich, Mark. "Talking straight in 24B". Mankato Free Press] Retrieved 2011-05-13.</ref>
''Statewide Voter Turnout 60.46%''
Tony Cornish (R), 9108 votes, 54.34%
Jim Peterson (DFL), 7636 votes, 45.56%
Write-In, 16 votes, 0.10%
'''2004 Minnesota State Representative District 24B'''
''Statewide Voter Turnout 78.77%''
Tony Cornish (R), 12416 votes, 60.27%
Terry Clodfelter (DFL), 8172 votes, 39.67%
Write-In, 13 votes, 0.06%
'''2002 Minnesota State Representative District 24B'''
''Statewide Voter Turnout 64.89%''
Tony Cornish (R), 8959 votes, 51.60%
Sandy Lorenz (DFL), 8388 votes, 48.31%
Write-In, 16 votes, 0.09%
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{MN-legdb|10757}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20181208080637/http://www.tonycornish.com/ Official campaign website]
{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-mn-hs}} {{s-bef|before=Henry Kalis}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the House of Representatives<br />from District 23B<br />{{small|24B (2003–2013)}}|years=2003–2017}} {{s-aft|after=TBD}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cornish, Tony}} Category:1951 births Category:Living people Category:People from Vernon Center, Minnesota Category:Republican Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Category:Lutherans from Minnesota Category:21st-century members of the Minnesota Legislature