Minnesota State Wire

Optum, Inc. employee Jingxin Zhou contributed a total of $500 to the Republican Party of Minnesota candidate Jeff Jiang, according to the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board.

There have been $2,775 total contributions made to political candidates and committees by Optum, Inc. employees, 82 percent of which have gone to the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party causes and candidates.

Donations made to political groups or candidates must be disclosed under state law for greater transparency in elections. While Congress created the Federal Election Commission to oversee federal elections in 1974, each state is left to regulate its local elections. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, eleven states have no limits on how much can be contributed to a candidate by individual donors, while the other 39 states often limit the amount someone can contribute based on the office the candidate is running for.

Employee	Candidate	Party	Amount
Amy Burt	Ann Johnson Stewart	DFL	$750
Tim Trujillo	Jon Olson	DFL	$750
Jingxin Zhou	Jeff Jiang	RPM	$500
Michael Nolan	Tim Walz	DFL	$250
Steve B. Elkins	Tim Walz	DFL	$250
Janis Verruso	Tim Walz	DFL	$275