A North Dakota state lawmaker, Republican Rep. Jason Dockter, has been convicted of a misdemeanor related to a state-leased building in which he has ownership ties. Dockter was charged with speculating or wagering on official action in connection with voting on legislative bills appropriating money for property he had a pecuniary interest in. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 360 days in jail and/or a $3,000 fine. Dockter has pleaded not guilty and plans to consider an appeal. His sentencing has not yet been scheduled. The charge against Dockter stemmed from complaints to the state Ethics Commission.
The case has raised concerns among legislative leaders, with Republican House Majority Leader Mike Lefor stating that legislators may feel uncomfortable knowing what constitutes a conflict of interest. Lefor plans to review legislative rules, state statutes, and have discussions with the Ethics Commission to ensure clarity on this issue. He highlighted the potential slippery slope for scenarios where legislators with specific backgrounds may need to vote on related issues, such as a teacher voting on education bills or a farmer voting on agricultural issues. The verdict in Dockter’s case has not been commented on by the prosecutor, Ladd Erickson.
The controversy surrounding the state-leased building, which incurred a cost overrun of over $1 million during the tenure of the late Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, has been ongoing for nearly two years. The building was leased for consolidating divisions of Stenehjem’s office. Subsequent to Stenehjem’s death, Attorney General Drew Wrigley disclosed the cost overrun and the deletion of Stenehjem’s state email account, a decision made by his executive assistant, Liz Brocker, who later resigned. While no charges were brought for the deleted emails, Dockter, a co-owner of companies involved with the building, has denied any wrongdoing in the lease arrangement. Dockter, who has been in office since 2012, was reelected in 2022 without opposition.
Following the verdict, Democratic House Minority Leader Zac Ista called for Dockter’s resignation, which Dockter has no immediate plans to comply with. Majority Leader Lefor stated that he does not expect the Republican-majority House to take immediate action against Dockter, especially with the Legislature not in session until January 2025, after an organizational session in December. The cost overrun and deleted emails related to the building have raised concerns among state lawmakers regarding trust and transparency. Earlier this year, Wrigley’s office was able to recover thousands of Stenehjem’s emails through a cellphone backup and released them in response to records requests. This data became part of an investigation into former state senator Ray Holmberg, who is facing charges related to alleged intent to pay for sex with a minor during a trip to Europe. Holmberg’s trial is scheduled for September.
