Outspoken Trump critic enters contest for Senate
ST. PAUL, Minn. — A former Republican White House lawyer in President George W. Bush’s administration and a prominent critic of President Trump announced Monday that he’ll run as a Democrat for Al Franken’s Minnesota Senate seat.
Richard Painter said he plans to challenge Sen. Tina Smith, who was appointed to Franken’s seat after his January resignation, in a Democratic primary in August.
Painter served as chief White House ethics lawyer from 2005 to 2007 in the Bush administration but has been a visible critic of Trump since his 2016 election, making frequent appearances on CNN, MSNBC and other cable TV networks.