The Tammy Lee congressional campaign has traced what it calls a “racist, hate Web site” designed to parody Lee’s site to new Minneapolis School Board member Chris Stewart.

The site, which was taken down yesterday after Lee campaign staff discovered its origins, uses racist language to lampoon Rep. Martin Sabo’s endorsement of Lee, who finished third in yesterday’s Fifth District congressional race. “Tammy Lee is the Best Choice to Replace Congressman Martin Sabo,” the site reads. “After all, she's white - just like us, and that means we can trust her. We should all agree that a Negro should never replace a great statesman like Martin Sabo.”

The “Meet Tammy Lee” link brings the visitor to a Ku Klux Klan site, and other tabs link to Wikipedia items on “White Power” and “White Nationalism.”

Though the replica site is clearly marked as “political satire” and “not associated with Tammy Lee for Congress,” Lee called it the “lowest, most vile form of sleazeball campaigning” and said the campaign may consider legal action.

The Lee campaign hired a computer forensic expert to investigate the source of the site. His research revealed “numerous ties” linking Stewart, a DFLer who was endorsed by Lee’s opponent, Keith Ellison, to the replica site.

The Ellison campaign has issued a statement distancing itself from the site, saying it has “absolutely nothing to do with the website in question. The site is tasteless and clearly goes way over the line.”

Calls to Stewart, who won a seat on the Minneapolis School Board yesterday in his first run for office, have not been returned.