Flanagan Campaign Corrects Academic Credential Claims

Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan’s campaign acknowledged that she was never a Phi Beta Kappa member and did not complete a double major, correcting descriptions of her academic record after questions about remarks she made in 2016. At a Minnesota legislative hearing in March 2016, Flanagan said she had graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Minnesota. She was then a state representative speaking in support of legislation intended to increase teacher diversity. In describing the effect of seeing herself reflected in her teachers and curriculum, she said, “I graduated Phi Beta Kappa.” The university’s 2002 commencement program did not list Flanagan as an honors student, according to the reporting. The program identified graduates with grade-point averages of at least 3.5, while the university’s current GPA requirement for Phi Beta Kappa membership is 3.65. Those records prompted questions about the membership claim, but do not establish why Flanagan made it. Campaign spokeswoman Alexandra Fetissoff said Flanagan had been nominated for Phi Beta Kappa but could not afford the application fees to join. The explanation came from the campaign and has not been independently...