1 week ago
6
A assemblage successful North Dakota connected Friday convicted a authorities lawmaker of a misdemeanor successful transportation with a state-leased gathering helium has ownership ties to. A legislative person said helium disagrees with the verdict and plans to reappraisal the statute and rules involved.
Republican Rep. Jason Dockter, of Bismarck, was charged successful December 2023 with speculating oregon wagering connected authoritative action. He pleaded not guilty. The complaint has a maximum punishment of 360 days successful jailhouse and/or a $3,000 fine. Dockter declined to remark connected the verdict but said helium volition see an appeal. His sentencing has yet to beryllium scheduled.
A transgression ailment alleged that, arsenic a subordinate of the North Dakota House of Representatives, Dockter voted "on legislative bills appropriating wealth to wage for spot helium had acquired a pecuniary involvement in," against the instrumentality and legislative rules. The complaint arose from complaints to the authorities Ethics Commission.
NORTH DAKOTA LAWMAKER HIT WITH MISDEMEANOR CHARGE IN SPECULATION CASE
Republican House Majority Leader Mike Lefor said the lawsuit is concerning due to the fact that "legislators aren't going to consciousness comfy knowing what a struggle of involvement is."
"I'm reasoning that we request to sojourn legislative rules, look astatine authorities statutes and person a thoughtful speech with the Ethics Commission truthful that we tin marque perfectly definite that legislators are not looking implicit their enarthrosis worrying astir does it emergence to the level of a struggle of involvement oregon not?" Lefor said.
He called it a "slippery slope" for scenarios of a legislator who is simply a teacher voting connected an acquisition measure oregon a husbandman voting connected cultivation issues.
Prosecutor Ladd Erickson declined to remark connected the verdict.
Republican North Dakota authorities Rep. Jason Dockter chairs a legislative gathering connected Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Jack Dura, File)
Dockter's complaint is portion of a astir two-year-old contention involving the building, leased by the precocious Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem for consolidating divisions of his office, that nether Stenehjem incurred a outgo overrun of implicit $1 cardinal that hasn't been afloat reconciled.
Stenehjem's successor, Attorney General Drew Wrigley, disclosed the overrun and that Stenehjem's authorities email relationship was deleted days aft his decease successful January 2022 astatine the absorption of his enforcement assistant, Liz Brocker, who aboriginal resigned. A authoritative declined to bring charges for the deleted emails.
Dockter is simply a co-owner of companies that ain and worked connected the building. He was friends with Stenehjem, but has denied immoderate wrongdoing successful the lease arrangement. Dockter was archetypal elected successful 2012. He was reelected successful 2022 without opposition.
Democratic House Minority Leader Zac Ista called connected Dockter to resign aft the verdict. Dockter said helium has nary contiguous plans to bash so. Lefor said helium doesn't expect the Republican-majority House to instrumentality immoderate contiguous steps against Dockter.
The Legislature is not successful session, and isn't scheduled to convene until January 2025, aft a December organizational session.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The outgo overrun and deleted emails shocked authorities lawmakers, who raised concerns astir spot and transparency. Earlier this year, Wrigley's bureau recovered thousands of Stenehjem's emails done a cellphone backup and released them successful effect to records requests. Stenehjem's telephone information became portion of an probe into erstwhile authorities legislator Ray Holmberg, who is accused of traveling to Europe with the intent of paying for enactment with a minor. Holmberg's proceedings is acceptable for September.
English (US)