International Courant
A particular prosecutor has declined to press fees in reference to the deletion of late North Dakota Legal professional Basic Wayne Stenehjem’s state electronic mail account days after his loss of life in 2022.
The deleted emails are a part of a virtually 2-year-old controversy involving a constructing value overrun of over $1 million disclosed by Drew Wrigley, Stenehjem’s successor. The problems, which occurred earlier than Wrigley’s tenure, rattled lawmakers, who tapped the state auditor to look into the matter. A Montana state investigator additionally probed the state of affairs and gave a prolonged report final 12 months.
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In July 2022, data Wrigley launched in response to media requests revealed that Stenehjem’s government assistant, Liz Brocker, had directed the deletion of his emails the day after he died, in addition to these of his chief deputy, Troy Seibel, after Seibel resigned months later. Brocker herself resigned across the time reporters discovered.
Photographed right here is the late North Dakota Legal professional Basic Wayne Stenehjem. (Tom Stromme/The Bismarck Tribune by way of AP, File)
Mountrail County State’s Legal professional Wade Enget outlined his determination in a memo Thursday to Burleigh County State’s Legal professional Julie Lawyer, saying he cannot file a cost of tampering with public data as a result of North Dakota legislation did not clearly outline on the time that emails are a authorities report. A brand new state legislation for electronic mail retention has since taken impact.
Enget advised The Related Press he’s nonetheless reviewing the Montana report concerning the transform and lease of the constructing, which homes divisions of the legal professional normal’s workplace. The associated fee overrun occurred underneath Stenehjem.
Brocker’s legal professional, Tom Dickson, stated Enget made the right determination.
“Once you appeared on the legislation in impact in 2022 or throughout the time-frame we’re speaking about right here, it wasn’t a violation, and I concluded that just about instantly,” Dickson stated.
Brocker now works within the Burleigh County State’s Legal professional’s Workplace.
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Separate from Enget’s evaluate, Republican state Rep. Jason Dockter, of Bismarck, who has an possession curiosity within the constructing, was charged with a misdemeanor for “voting on legislative payments appropriating cash to pay for property he had acquired a pecuniary curiosity in,” in line with a grievance. He has pleaded not responsible; a trial is ready for Could.
Case over deletion of deceased North Dakota AG’s emails won’t be prosecuted
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