BISMARCK, N.D. – The North Dakota Senate’s top Republican says a fellow state senator is refusing to step down from a leadership position after posting on Facebook a long-debunked photo that claims to be Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar holding a weapon at an al-Qaida training camp.
Majority Leader Rich Wardner and GOP Gov. Doug Burgum have called on state Sen. Oley Larsen to apologize and relinquish his position as president pro tempore.
Wardner says he spoke with Larsen on Tuesday night. He says Larsen told him he would fight any attempt to be removed from the leadership position. Wardner says Larsen believes he’s done nothing wrong.
Larsen hasn’t returned repeated phone calls seeking comment.
Wardner says he will meet with the state Senate’s GOP caucus before deciding what to do next.
