Did Stenehjem Misuse State Funds? Investigation Sought.

Earlier this week, North Dakota’s Attorney General, Wayne Stenehjem, joined 17 other Republican Attorneys General from across the country, all members of the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA), an organization which, in its various incarnations, has provided Stenehjem with at least $160,000 in campaign funds, in supporting a lawsuit filed by his counterpart in Texas, Republican Ken Paxton, who, it is widely known, is seeking a presidential pardon in advance after being indicted on various crimes, in petitioning the United States Supreme Court to overthrow the election of Joe Biden as President of the United States.

Not even a Supreme Court stacked with Donald Trump appointees would tolerate such a blatant attack on American democracy.

Here in North Dakota, a citizen who for many years has kept an eye on the state of our nation, as a journalist with a keen eye and a famous last name, decided on Friday afternoon that enough was enough. The Attorney General of North Dakota, in the eyes of citizen Darrell Dorgan, had gone too far. Darrell filed a complaint against Stenehjem with the State Bar Association of North Dakota.

Darrell gave me a copy of the letter he sent to Stenehjem, with a copy to the Bar Association, on Friday afternoon. I have not contacted SBAND Executive Director Tony Weiler to get his reaction. It is a weekend. He’s probably hunting. Good for him. We’ll talk to him on Monday. There’s no hurry. The election is now over. Here is Darrell’s letter.

December 11, 2020

Wayne Stenehjem

Attorney General

State of North Dakota

600 East Boulevard

Bismarck, ND  58505

Mr. Stenehjem:

This is a notification that I am requesting the North Dakota Bar Association conduct a formal investigation into the misuse of state funds for political purposes by you.

I will also request the Bar Association alter normal rules and open any hearing to the public. You are an attorney, the state’s highest law enforcement official and a closed hearing would be viewed by many as a cover-up.

            It was reported that you have joined efforts with 17 other Republican Attorneys General seeking to have the United States Supreme Court overturn the recent national election and disenfranchise the votes of millions of citizens in four states. The election was lost by about seven million votes and half-hearted, tainted, misleading actions by the loser of the election and his legal counsel has resulted in 35 similar cases already being thrown out of court.

            The candidate (here-to-fore referred to as the “loser”) you have decided to back in your latest partisan legal effort won this state by nearly 65% of the votes cast. Simply put, we don’t have a dog in this fight. You have simply decided to cultivate goodwill with the “loser” and his minions by expending time, effort, and state funding on an issue that doesn’t impact us and has already been decided. Actually, your actions are a bit like a fire hydrant chasing a dog, and frankly it’s not the first time.

            You and I have a long and cordial relationship. We’re lucky, and it’s largely because we live in a democratic society, a country that is governed by the rule of law. By joining in this folly, you are violating the oath you took to our state and national constitution to uphold the law. 

            In a story by the Associated Press, you defend your activity by saying it cost the State of North Dakota nothing. However, you also claim there were thousands of phone calls to your office calling for North Dakota to join the suit. I called your office this morning to get your address and was asked without prompting, ”are you in favor or against our joining the suit with the Texas Attorney General”.  

            Thank you. You have now admitted a state employee was paid to answer the “thousands of calls” you received in favor of your questionable actions. Your employee who answered the call (British accent), just confirmed with her unsought question she is in fact working on this unfortunate matter.

            For you to join this dubious legal effort there had to have been other actions taken too.  Phone calls, briefs researched and written, travel?  As of this minute I’m formally requesting a complete list of who worked on the project, how much time was spent and the amount of funds expended.

            I believe you have done the following in your quest for political adequacy among those who refuse to accept the outcome and violate our constitutional rights to a free election. The Supreme Court quest will add nothing new to the cluster of court decisions rejecting the perverted actions.

            However, your efforts will have accomplished the following:  

1.    Used state funds to pursue a strictly partisan political matter.

2.    Forced attorneys and others who work for the state to work on a partisan political matter. Come on, you aren’t writing these briefs yourself.

3.    Have involved the State of North Dakota in a political matter headed by the Texas Attorney General who’s under federal indictment and looking for a pardon. 

4.    Are forcing attorneys who work for North Dakota to associate and or work with lackluster individuals who have already lost in more than 35 similar fraudulent court fights brought by the “loser” and his marginal legal team.

            As I said earlier, this was not your first time at bat with other Republican Attorneys General. You, with 17 others, have a case before the Supreme Court that potentially could eliminate what is referred to by detractors like yourself as “Obamacare.” It is amazingly heartless to line-up with fellow theorists to strip 20 million people of medical coverage during a pandemic. Please relinquish your state health insurance while this case is being reviewed and then call someone who will lose their insurance if you succeed and tell them why it doesn’t matter.

            Again, simply another political decision with legal work done by attorneys who work for the state and are paid for with taxpayer money.  

            While my complaint will be decided by the Bar Association, I am formally requesting your office halt all activities in these matters. I am also formally requesting, under the state’s open records/open meeting statutes, the number of hours worked on both cases, amount of money spent for travel and or salaries and an immediate return of the money. I am also requesting other members of the Industrial Commission revoke your voting privileges until these issues have been decided.  

Sincerely,

Darrell Dorgan

Well.