US court orders Coleman to pay $95K

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:58:43 GMT

http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=97558&sectionid=3510203

A US Court has ordered former Republican senator Norm Coleman to pay Senate contestant Democrat Al Franken about $95K for his appeal expenses.

Coleman had recently appealed the latest counts of Minnesota Senate election results that show Franken still leads the former senator by 312 votes in last November's Senate elections.

The two rivals have so far spent $50 million in their campaigns for the state seat.

The outcome of the 2008 Senate election for Minnesota has yet to be determined as Coleman still disputes the narrow margin in the run-up to the legislature.

The state of Minnesota has yet to issue a certificate of election concerning the race and the state seat remains to be claimed.

Franken's possible success would be significant in providing the Democrats with filibuster-proof Senate rulings.

The ongoing legal efforts by Coleman has led to accusations that he is prolonging the race to prevent Senate Democrats from achieving their desired 60-vote standing.