1 named to North Dakota Ethics Commission, other 2 seats still in limbo

BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — State officials have tapped former Office of Management and Budget Director Pam Sharp to fill one of the three open seats on the North Dakota Ethics Commission, but remain divided on the reappointment of one commissioner.

“I think Pam Sharp has more knowledge about what goes on in this place than just about anybody else,” Gov. Kelly Armstrong said in a Friday morning meeting with Senate Majority Leader David Hogue, R-Minot, and Senate Minority Leader Kathy Hogan, D-Fargo.

Sharp will succeed Ward Koeser, one of the original five members of the commission, and will serve a four-year term.

She led the Office of Management and Budget from 2003 to 2018 and is currently retired.

In her interview with the selection committee, Sharp said her background gives her an extensive understanding of how the executive branch works.

“I do feel I can bring value that perhaps not everyone has,” she said.

She said she would advocate for the Ethics Commission to be “very transparent” and “say everything they can say.”

Pam Sharp (Photo courtesy of Pam Sharp)

Sharp also expressed support for the commission providing public education on how to navigate ethical issues.

“I do think the Ethics Commission is the place to give that advice,” she said. “How can you go wrong with education?”

On Friday, Armstrong, Hogue and Hogan remained at odds over who to pick for the remaining two open positions. The three state leaders indicated they would reconvene early next week to resume discussions.

The selection committee must appoint commissioners by a consensus vote. They have been meeting since August to select the commission’s next members.

The committee is at a standstill over whether to appoint commissioner Murray Sagsveen, a Bismarck attorney, to another term. Sagsveen joined the commission in late 2024 after former chair Paul Richard announced his retirement.

Hogan and Hogue have both identified Sagsveen as a favorite, though Armstrong has said he is unwilling to vote for him.

Armstrong in a previous meeting expressed a desire to replace Sagsveen because of the Ethics Commission’s tenuous relationship with the executive branch, which Armstrong said warrants a “general reset” of the board’s culture.

Sagsveen also expressed during the selection process that he feels the state Legislature has passed unconstitutional laws that limit the commission’s authority, which Armstrong said he disagrees with.

Hogue and Hogan both said Friday that their support for Sagsveen hasn’t changed.

“I think Mr. Sagsveen is the best, and I’m in the habit of hiring the best,” Hogue said.

Sagsveen is seeking another four-year term after his seat expired Aug. 31. The other open position was left by former chair Dave Anderson, who died in May. Anderson’s term expires Aug. 31, 2026.

Last week, selection committee members also identified Jared Huibregtse, a project manager for a Mandan engineering firm, and Mark Western, a Fargo attorney, as top picks. The state received 39 applicants for the open positions.

The Ethics Commission was created through a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2018. The amendment tasks it with regulating ethical behavior in areas relating to elections, lobbying, corruption and transparency.

Commissioners’ duties include adopting ethics rules, investigating alleged violations and issuing advisory opinions to help public officials navigate ethical issues. They are paid a stipend for every day they meet, plus reimbursement for travel.

North Dakota Monitor reporter Mary Steurer can be reached at msteurer@northdakotamonitor.com.