A North Dakota state lawmaker, Republican Rep. Jason Dockter, has been convicted of a misdemeanor in connection with a state-leased building he has ownership ties to. Dockter was charged with speculating or wagering on official action in December 2023 and pleaded not guilty. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 360 days in jail and/or a $3,000 fine. Dockter has not commented on the verdict but is considering an appeal. He has yet to be scheduled for sentencing. The charge stemmed from complaints to the state Ethics Commission alleging that Dockter voted on legislative bills appropriating money for property he had a pecuniary interest in, which goes against the law and legislative rules.
Republican House Majority Leader Mike Lefor expressed concern over the case, stating that legislators need to be clear on what constitutes a conflict of interest. Lefor plans to review legislative rules, state statutes, and have discussions with the Ethics Commission to ensure that legislators are not in a position where they feel uneasy about potential conflicts of interest. He highlighted the issue of lawmakers voting on bills related to their personal interests, such as a teacher voting on education bills or a farmer voting on agricultural issues, as a “slippery slope” that needs to be addressed. Prosecutor Ladd Erickson declined to comment on the verdict.
The case involving Dockter is part of a two-year-old controversy surrounding the state-leased building, which incurred a cost overrun of over $1 million under the late Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem’s tenure. Stenehjem’s successor, Attorney General Drew Wrigley, disclosed the cost overrun and revealed that Stenehjem’s state email account was deleted shortly after his death in January 2022. Dockter, who is a co-owner of companies that own and worked on the building, denies any wrongdoing in the lease arrangement. The issue has shocked state lawmakers, who raised concerns about trust and transparency. Wrigley’s office later recovered thousands of Stenehjem’s emails and released them in response to records requests.
Despite calls from Democratic House Minority Leader Zac Ista for Dockter to resign after the verdict, Dockter has stated that he has no immediate plans to do so. House Majority Leader Lefor does not anticipate the Republican-majority House to take immediate action against Dockter. The Legislature is not in session and is not scheduled to convene until January 2025, after a December organizational session. The controversy surrounding the cost overrun and deleted emails has had far-reaching implications, with the recovered emails becoming part of an investigation into former state senator Ray Holmberg, who is accused of traveling to Europe with the intent of paying for sex with a minor. Holmberg’s trial is set for September.
Overall, the case against Dockter has raised questions about conflicts of interest and ethical considerations for legislators in North Dakota. The controversy surrounding the state-leased building and its cost overrun has added to the distrust among state lawmakers and the public. The need for clear guidelines on conflicts of interest and transparency in legislative actions has been highlighted, with calls for a review of legislative rules and statutes to ensure that similar situations are avoided in the future. The outcome of Dockter’s case and the ongoing investigation into other related matters will likely have lasting implications on the state’s political landscape.
