Coleman Owes Franken $95K

We still can't say for certain who will be Minnesota's next senator, but at least some of the legal bills are being straightened out. A Minnesota elections court ordered Norm Coleman to pay Al Franken nearly $95,000 to cover trial costs, reports the Minnesota Independent. Coleman must pay up because the court ruled against him. There's still no word, meanwhile, on when the state's highest court will issue its big decision.

The ruling of $95,000 is less than the $161,000 sought by the Franken camp, but Eric Kleefeld of Talking Points Memo notes even the larger figure "would only have made a small dent in the millions that have been spent in this process." The elections court warned Coleman, however, that the judgment will accrue interest until it's paid off. (More Norm Coleman stories.)