Former GOP gubernatorial candidate Scott Jensen filed separate lawsuits Tuesday against the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice and Attorney General Keith Ellison, alleging they worked together on "politically motivated" investigations into his medical license.

Jensen, a Chaska physician, said he was repeatedly investigated by the Board of Medical Practice for public statements he made about COVID-19, and all complaints were later dismissed. The Republican previously made comments encouraging civil disobedience against vaccine mandates and opposing children wearing masks in schools, among other things, and vowed to reshape the Board of Medical Practice if elected governor.

He accused the board on Tuesday of attempting to chill his speech, arguing the panel should not have launched investigations into his medical license over political statements that he made. Jensen questioned whether the board's repeated investigations hurt him in his unsuccessful campaign against DFL Gov. Tim Walz last year, noting that Walz used those investigations as a line of attack against him.

"I think it cost me dearly from a reputational standpoint, potentially impacting somewhat on the governor's race. We'll never know that," Jensen said during a news conference Tuesday. "In the end, I think it was about bullying … it was about, if you dare to disagree, you're in trouble."

In his suit against Ellison, Jensen alleges that the Attorney General's Office "intentionally withheld" public data about him that should have been released to him in response to a Data Practices Act request.

Jensen and his attorneys are seeking damages from the Board of Medical Practice and are asking a judge to prohibit the board from further investigating his "protected First Amendment speech."

They're also asking a judge to compel Ellison's office to immediately release the withheld data.

Neither the board nor Ellison's office immediately responded to a request for comment. A spokesman for Ellison said they haven't been served with the lawsuit yet.

This is a developing story. Return to StarTribune.com for updates.