It was a hot mic and window into the attitude some lawmakers have about the federal charges against Ray Holmberg. A shoulder shrug and a joke. It is no laughing matter.
Jerry Klein, a Republican lawmaker from Fessenden, North Dakota decided it was appropriate to joke around about how much it cost you to pay for trips to Prague. He cracked his joke during a Legislative Management meeting at the beginning of December. The meeting was discussing how much it would cost to fight a lawsuit on legislative district maps. “Two trips to Prague” Klein could be heard saying on a mic to a colleague.
Of all the places that could have been used to benchmark where lawmakers have been paid to go, Klein chose Prague. That stands out because, as you likely know, federal charges were brought against his former Republican colleague Ray Holmberg. Holmberg is charged with traveling to Prague with the intent of paying for sex with a minor. There is potential that at least one of those trips was paid for by North Dakota taxpayers.
It was a tasteless joke caught on a hot mic. I’m glad to see nobody’s laughing. There were victims of these alleged crimes. These victims were children.
Regarding the charges, this wasn’t a book in a library. This wasn’t a drag show. This was a Republican lawmaker who allegedly traveled to engage in illegal behavior with minors. To have the NDGOP State Party Chair in Sandy Sanford dare to claim they have the moral high ground because they were willing to take on book bans and drag shows in the last session, but then turn and crack a joke about actual crimes against children should enrage you. Their prolonged silence spoke louder than the spin.
It is the attitude, the political spin of these charges, and the excuses that Holmberg did a lot of good for Grand Forks and the state in his official capacity. He potentially used that official capacity to travel abroad while we paid for his activities. That outweighs whatever good was passed in his name.
Is it because Klein can’t look in the eyes of the victims since they’re in Prague to feel the weight of what those federal charges are? Is that what allows it to become a punch line? Out of sight, out of mind?
I said before the lack of accountability and the vindictive behavior of some lawmakers need to be checked. They’re willing to do and say things like this, knowing they can get away with it. Klein is hoping this hot-mic moment will be just that. A moment nobody remembers when it comes time for next year’s election. We’ll do our best to make sure people don’t forget where politicians stood when real charges were brought against an individual and what they allegedly did to minors on Afternoons Live.
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