11-5-10
Notes on
Mark Armstrong testimony
(Note: Because of time constraints, some testimony is more abbreviated than others, I will try to complete the record over the next week.)
Former
Radio Talk Show Host : PMS in the morning
Communications
guy at WSI, handled media
On
Tuesday, was elected 2nd term Burleigh Co Commissioner
Duties
include dealing with open records requests.
Primarily
done through computer searches, with aid of various departments. Redacts info like soc sec #s that can't be
disclosed.
Agrees
his emails in state email system can be monitored
Says he
desk could be looked at , but says a process exists, Internal Auditor , if has
cause, can go to Board Audit committee or chair for permission. Says process not followed.
Is aware
of ethical standards for lawyers, unaware of ethical standards for Internal
auditors Internal Audit Charter
Knew
something was afoot, that's why he wrote down recollections in journal.
Romi Leingang left
building in tears, told Jodi her career was over.
Heard
there'd be a news conference re Blunt 's charges.
Had been
getting lots of media calls re Performance Audit, 6 months between performance
audit and Blunt charges
At news
conference, Blunt charged with one class B felony, 2 Class C , Romi 1 class
C
Said only
Board Chair Bob Indvig authorized to make comment.
Sandy
threw charges on Jodi's desk, upset.
Everyone was, they were not expecting charges.
Blunt
thinks he can still run day to day if board backs him, but board says no. Nallie and Hutchings can't do it because of
Ohio connections, that left Halvorson or Long.
Jodi was busy with legal.
Met with
Long and Indvig, said do the right thing and stick by Sandy. Says Blunt was charged with a birthday cake,
gift cards, things that had been at the organization for years before Blunt
arrived says there's been a change in law, Blunt could not face such charges
today.
Says
wasn't close friends with Blunt.
Says Long
wants an interim CEO. Armstrong
disgrees, if this is a politcal prosecution. "I might use the term political
persecution." Says it was part of a
political movement to put WSI under governor's control.
Says workers comp is political org.
Asked if Burleigh Co States Atty is political, its part of our
process. Said wasn't sure if "Initiated
Measure" was in place at the time.
"Wasn't
Blunt charged with Bonuses given to you and Jodi? " No
Agreed
that Long said keeping Blunt around puts org in bad situation, must put agency
first. Agreed, it was a political
reality.
After
news conf, Board passed 3 motions: Put
Blunt on pd admin leave, Name HAL as acting CEO, draft
support statement for Blunt and Leingang that charges are political in
nature. Didn't know if Board had investigated to see whether charges
true. All thought charges bogus.
Leingang's
charges dropped, Blunt convicted, but is appealing to ND and US Supreme Court.
Mad that
Terry Krill blabbed to media. Board
according to Carver priniciple to speak with one
voice. Agreed that of board of 11,
(check) 6 represented employer groups, 5 represented employee groups, so only the majority had
their voice heard.
Board
appoints CEO under Carver model of governance.
Media
covers story as "Corruption in agency, board stands by their man."
Said they
sent card to Romi and Blunt, execs had to pay, couldn't use office pens to
sign, that's what Blunt was charged with.
Didn't think it indicated who would or would not sign as show of
support.
Indvig
said Long told him he supported Blunt staying on; said either Indvig or Long
was lying, thought he knew which one.
Charges
also stemmed from J Runnings email re drivers
licenses.
Agreed
info about staff salaries was open record.
Question
surfaced re nepotism. Hal's wife and brother in law worked
there. Said they were grandfathered in,
and this was emergency.
Said
visited Blunt at home out of compassion.
Only one not contacting Blunt was Long.
Said Long already trying to undermine Hal.
Said
Blunt not managing WSI from home, everybody thought he'd be back.
Re journal, said it was not an office doc. Somebody stole it.
List of pros and cons left in Blunts office says Longs writing. Not signed, not authored by,
Said he
was not given bonus, not aware if Hal given bonus by blunt.
Republican Governor looking at whether he could suspend Blunt , AG said no. Scott Hennen – talk show host - told him
Heitkamp tipped off Hoeven potential law to suspend Sandy.
From
Journal:
Bob thinks Jim could be CEO over
portions of agency. I say I don’t think
necessary. Uses nepotism statute. Jim devastated.
Jim told John the board made mistake
in not hiring him.
Repeatedly
said this is just a journal , not everything is important.
Retroactive
back pay to Armstrong, HAL, Jodi part of prosecution? Didn't know about the others.
Mark
released journal to media 2 days after discovered – Steve Cates – Dakota Beacon
– transcribed by Forum. Was it personal,
public? AG said if he wrote it on state time with state pen, had to release it, coverup worse.
Were
comments insubordinate? Not meant to be public.
Journal
entry re: looking at taking action
agasint states attorney for prosectuing Blunt, couldn't remember what action
He's been
making long answers. Tuntland declares
him an adverse witness who must answer yes or no when appropriate.
Journal
entry: We got first positive letter to editor : we is WSI. said WSI did
not prepare letters to be signed by others
Knows
reporter Dave Thompson.
Journal
entry:
"Got
the secret documents out. Lengenfelder
did the deed but ran into Dave Thompson in the press room.
Agreed it
looked like reasonable suspicion, but all they had to do was ask him.
Armstrong
explains: Sandy Blunt had been charged
with three felony counts. He had a
narrative, a document he had prepared that he wanted to get out to the press,
but I told him I couldn't do it for him.
He asked me whether there was anyone else who could. I asked my friend Lengenfelder if he could
deliver it to the media. So Lengenfelder was trying to secretly distribute
Sandy's document. He and I and reporter
Dave Thompson all are members of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. Lengenfelder happened to run into Dave at
church and handed him the document.
That's all there is; there were
no secret documents.
Indvig
wsants to be aggrssive against media and prosecutor Rhea
Flanagan
got immunity for testifying against Blunt and Romi
Journal
entry : meeting with Keiser head of bus labor and industry re ways to deal with
crisis.
WSI paid
for retreat at Medora resort, says it wasn't a
party
Journal
entry : Meeting with Steve Cates and hoping thta getting h9im to be not only
the lead on not only the story but the info to charge other with the crime and
also to beging to gather 50 signatures to force Rhia out as State's Attorney
to gather
50 signatures to oust Rhea. Says not to
retaliate agasint Rhea, but to follow board directive
Journal
entry: Wahlin decides to return computer and docs to Blunt.
Cates
blanketing Reha with open records requests.
Says
doesn't recall if he ever turned down an open request from Blunt
Journal
entry: "Sandy and Steve have been
working closely and there are several smoking guns that if played right should
blow this caase out of the water. We
meet for five hours at Steve's house to plot strategy and pour throguh
documents. I think we have a chance. The
plan is to publish or persish. Publish -
confront a County Comish meetings then drop 50 signatures. This should put
enough pressure on Riah or Feland to realize there is no crime."
Armstrong
says this never happended, it was just an idea.
This in
front of County commission - where Armstrong is a commissioner? Armstrong says it never happened.
-----------------
BAKKE
Long was
mad, thought as PhD he was better qualified than HAL.
says gave
list of his qualifications to the board .
Board
decided HAL acting CEO. Said Long
manuevering to get share of power. Says
weird manager meeting where Jim went on about his feelings re appt.
Billi Peltz said she had Long wrapped
around little finger.
Long
dressed as fairy at Halloween, took her kids office to office trick or treating
– weird
Lots of
time in her office, giggling, goofy stuff, getting nails done together.
Exec meeting:
Nallie said they having affair. Long
denied. Nallie said that's the
perception of organization.
open records request said it can be lots of work, can
charge for seaarch time and paper
costs. takes redactions, says Long's
request Voluminous . Says Long was
treated like everybody else
Blunt
didn’t need open record req coz he had access to computer. Board decided
that. No info Blunt was taking info to
press. Had concersn about Long putting
info out to press.
Kept
Journal in drawer. Thought Long trying
to get someone in trouble by taking journal to Law Enforcement
Said news
conference showed political prosecution:
Joel Heitkamp there, sister Heidi, both Democrats.
Re:
retroactive back pay to Armstrong: said
Blunt would wait until pay changes occurred through agency, then would do back
pay.
When HAL
appointed, ceo tension started, Long started carrying around tape recorder.
Said HAL
had sense of calm. Been in org long
time.
After the Chamber of commerce meeting, said Long was giddy about
writing letters and getting positive word out re WSI. Said this was not unusual request, did for
groups did for democrats. said they just
wanted FAQs. Long thought nothing
improper.
When read
Long's manifesto thought sinister, it was not what he remembered.
Said Long
not treated differently after chamber mtg.
Learned
of office search after execution of search warrant. said neither Long nor Kay told him they'd
taken it
Says
there were three stories about who'd taken it,
2 filed with law enforcement. A
list of his kids soc sec #s was taken , Risk Management report missing.
Said
taking his journal had a bad effect on morale.
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