By: Mary Steurer (ND Monitor)
The North Dakota Ethics Commission is looking into whether strongly worded communications from the state Attorney General’s Office have negatively impacted commission staff.
The decision follows a July 3 letter addressed to the commission from Attorney General Drew Wrigley that harshly criticized the commission’s recent investigation report on ethics violations by Rep. Jason Dockter, R-Bismarck.
The report said the Attorney General’s Office at times did not cooperate with the investigation and did not turn over some requested records — a characterization Wrigley called “patently false.”
Wrigley said his office gave the commission access to all requested records except when pending investigations and court proceedings prevented them from being turned over.
His letter went on to accuse Ethics Commission Executive Director Rebecca Binstock and her staff of inexperience and poor judgment.
“Ms. Binstock, your report is replete with misleading narratives and omissions, and officials and the public are left having to guess whether your actions are the result of carelessness or the intentional politicization of your office,” Wrigley wrote.
Ethics Commissioner Ward Koeser in a prepared statement he read Wednesday said he felt many of the criticisms were “personal attacks” and out of line, and defended the quality of the report and commission staff.
The Attorney General’s Office in a statement to the Monitor said the comments were made in good faith.
“Our comments have been strictly substantive and focused on constitution, legal and ethical conduct and communications by publicly accountable staff,” the office said Wednesday.
The Ethics Commission and the Attorney General’s Office have been publicly at odds since the beginning of this year. The Attorney General’s Office raised concerns in testimony to lawmakers that the commission would violate the state constitution if it tried to penalize people who violate ethics laws. The Ethics Commission says the constitution grants it this authority.
Both sides have openly accused one another of unprofessionalism.
“We have felt for some time that we have had a strained relationship with the Attorney General’s Office and we need to find a way to work through that,” Koeser said.
Koeser made a motion Wednesday to appoint a commissioner to evaluate how staff have been treated by the Attorney General’s Office and decide whether to take additional steps to “support a respectful, professional and productive working environment for commission staff.”
Commissioner Ron Goodman volunteered to take the lead on the matter with help from Commissioner Cynthia Lindquist, who was appointed chair during Wednesday’s meeting
Lindquist suggested reaching out to human resources personnel within the state government first.
“I think we need some advice or guidance from the state personnel office,” she said.
