State Sen. Janne Myrdal, R-Edinburg, speaks on the House floor during a meeting of the Legislative Management Committee on Nov. 14, 2024. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)
FARGO (KFGO) – A northeast North Dakota man who saw his lawsuit against a state lawmaker thrown out earlier this year is accusing that same lawmaker of evidence tampering and obstruction.
Mitchell Sanderson of Park River sued Edinburg Republican Janne Myrdal in state court last year, saying she violated his First Amendment rights by blocking him on Facebook.
Sanderson, who lives in Myrdal’s district, says she blocked him because she disagreed with his political beliefs. A district judge dismissed the lawsuit, saying it was Myrdal’s private Facebook page and, since she was acting as a private citizen and not a lawmaker, she did not violate his rights. The state Supreme Court agreed.
Now, Sanderson says Myrdal committed evidence tampering by changing the page after the lawsuit was filed. He says before the lawsuit, the page was labeled ‘Public Figure.’
Sanderson says it was called ‘Myrdal ND Senate’ and included her government email address and posts about Walsh County and state issues.
The new case is filed in U.S. District Court.
Sanderson is asking the court to punish Myrdal and compensate him for bringing the case to both state and federal court.
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