BISMARCK, N.D. — A North Dakota jury on Friday convicted a state lawmaker of misdemeanor charges related to state rental buildings involving ownership. One parliamentary leader said he disagreed with the ruling and would review related laws and regulations.
Republican Rep. Jason Dockter of Bismarck was indicted in December 2023 on charges of speculating or betting on official actions. He pleaded not guilty. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 360 days in jail or a $3,000 fine. Dockter declined to comment on the ruling, but said he would consider an appeal. His sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
According to the criminal complaint, as a member of the North Dakota House of Representatives, Mr. Dockter allegedly voted for “a bill appropriating a financial interest to pay for acquired property,” contrary to law and legislative regulations. The charges stemmed from a complaint to the state Ethics Commission.
Republican House Majority Leader Mike LeFore said the incident was troubling because “members don’t feel comfortable knowing what the conflicts of interest are.”
“I think we need to visit the legislative rules, look at state laws, and have thoughtful conversations with the Ethics Commission so that our legislators are not elevated to the level of ethics. You’ll be able to make sure you’re not looking over your shoulder worrying about whether it’s a conflict of interest or not. ” Lefort said.
He said the scenario of MPs who are teachers voting on education bills or farmers voting on agricultural issues is a “slippery slope.”
Prosecutor Ladd Erickson declined to comment on the sentence.
Dockter’s accusations are part of a nearly two-year dispute involving a building rented by the late Attorney General Wayne Stenegem to consolidate his office’s departments, resulting in more than $1 million in cost overruns under Stenegem. , has not been fully reconciled. .
Mr. Stenehjem’s successor, Attorney General Drew Wrigley, disclosed the overage and said that Mr. Stenehjem’s state email account was updated to the number of deaths in January 2022 at the direction of his administrative assistant, Liz Blocker, who later resigned. It was revealed that it was deleted a day later. Prosecutors declined to press charges over the deleted emails.
Dockter is a co-owner of the company that owns the building and helped build it. He was friends with Mr Stenehjem, but he denies any wrongdoing in the lease. Doctor was first elected in 2012 and was re-elected unopposed in 2022.
Democratic House Minority Leader Zach Ista called on Dockter to resign after the verdict. Doctor said there are no immediate plans to do so. LeFault said he does not expect the Republican-controlled House to take any immediate action against Dockter.
Congress is in recess and is not scheduled to convene until January 2025, after its December organizational meeting.
The cost overruns and email deletions shocked state lawmakers and raised concerns about trust and transparency. Earlier this year, Mr. Wrigley’s office recovered thousands of Mr. Stenegem’s emails through cell phone backups and released them in response to a records request. Stenehjem’s phone data became part of an investigation into former state Sen. Ray Holmberg, who is accused of traveling to Europe to pay for sex with minors. Holmberg’s trial is scheduled for September.
