ST. PAUL  (AP) - Minnesota Republican Party officials say the party is nearly $1.3 million in debt, with another $719,000 in legal expenses under review.

The party is detailing its finances one day ahead of a meeting to elect a new chairman.

The $1.3 million includes $415,000 in obligations that hadn't been reported before. The legal expenses are for the 2010 governor's race recount, and the GOP says it's reviewing those claims with its attorneys to see if they must be paid, or if they are the obligation of a separate corporation.

The GOP meets Saturday in St. Cloud to elect a new chairman. Party debt is one reason the previous chairman, Tony Sutton, resigned in early December.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved)

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