State’s Attorney to Conduct Review of Montana Investigation Regarding Attorney General Building and Emails • North Dakota Observer

Montana officials have referred an investigation into an over-budget building project and deleted emails of former Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem to Mountrail County State’s Attorney Wade Enget after previous attempts to get a prosecutor on board failed. The investigation, which stems from a series of business deals linked to Rep. Jason Dockter and an excess of $1.7 million in costs under Stenehjem’s leadership, has been ongoing for years. Stenehjem’s emails were deleted following his death in January 2022, prompting calls for further inquiry. The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation conducted a 131-page report on the matter and left it up to Enget’s office to determine if charges should be brought based on their findings. Previous attempts to involve prosecutors in Morton and Grand Forks counties were declined. The investigation is separate from an Ethics Commission inquiry into Dockter, which resulted in a misdemeanor charge accusing him of a conflict of interest in voting for funding for a property he had a financial interest in. Dockter has pleaded not guilty to the charge. Despite frustrations from lawmakers, the investigation aims to clarify the facts of the case and potential criminal activity, leaving Enget to decide on further legal action. The handoff to Enget marks a significant development in the ongoing investigation and search for accountability in the building project and deleted emails controversy.

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