Governor Questions Scope of Ethics Commission Authority

North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor)

(North Dakota Monitor) – North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong expressed concerns Monday that a recent Ethics Commission advisory opinion effectively created a new law without input from the Legislature.

The advisory opinion, requested by Sen. Josh Boschee, D-Fargo, and published in June, spoke to whether it is unethical for a public official or someone running for office to use campaign money to pay for child care or security services.

The commission concluded that using campaign money for those purposes is generally permissible if the need for those services was directly caused by the individual’s candidacy or public service.

Armstrong in public testimony pushed back on these findings.

“Paying for day care or security is a policy question, it’s a political question, and it ends up being a legal interpretation of the Century Code,” he said during the hearing. “It should be subject to hearings, should be subject to debate, and it should be subject eventually, to a vote.