North Dakota Dems Push for Mandatory Reporting Laws in Response to Holmberg Emails

State Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, center. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)

(By: Mary Steurer. North Dakota Monitor) – A committee of lawmakers  rejected a last-minute bill to make legislators and higher education officials mandatory reporters of child sexual abuse in light of new documents that show a University of North Dakota official may have known about sex crimes committed by former Sen. Ray Holmberg.

Holmberg, who served in the statehouse for more than four decades, was sentenced to 10 years in prison late last month after he pleaded guilty to traveling abroad with the intent to have sex with adolescent boys.

The records, which were released by the Attorney General’s Office on Friday and number over 90 pages, show Holmberg emailed UND entrepreneur Bruce Gjovig in February 2011 about the former senator’s preference for young men and boys. Gjovig founded the school’s Center for Innovation, retiring in 2017. Gjovig also held other prominent roles in the community and the Republican Party.

“What do you think of my twink?” Holmberg asked Gjovig in the email, using a slang term that refers to young, slim men.

Gjovig emailed back, “too young for me, but thanks.”