Committee names new member to North Dakota Ethics Commission, ending impasse

BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — North Dakota leaders appointed Jared Huibregtse to the North Dakota Ethics Commission on Tuesday, ending a nearly two-month stalemate over who to appoint to an open four-year seat on the commission.

Huibregtse is a Mandan resident and project manager for an engineering firm.

The selection committee consists of Gov. Kelly Armstrong, Senate Majority Leader David Hogue and Senate Minority Leader Kathy Hogan.

Hogue and Hogan supported reappointing commissioner Murray Sagsveen, which Armstrong firmly opposed.

Sagsveen withdrew his name from consideration in a Thursday letter to Armstrong.

Huibregtse was among seven finalists for the position. Thirty-nine people applied for three open positions.

Huibregtse said in a Tuesday interview he has accepted the appointment. He plans to attend the Ethics Commission’s next meeting on Wednesday.

“I’m just looking forward to digging in,” he said.

In an interview with the selection committee, Huibregtse said he wants to help the commission find clarity on areas where there is disagreement, like the scope of its authority.

“I don’t have a problem being the only one with a dissenting opinion,” he said.

Huibregtse manages water infrastructure projects at engineering firm Bartlett & West, according to his resume.

“I think we all felt he was fully qualified,” Hogan said during a selection committee meeting on Tuesday.

He formerly worked for the North Dakota Department of Water Resources and was in the North Dakota National Guard.

The committee recently appointed former Office of Management and Budget Director Pam Sharp and Fargo attorney Mark Western to two other open seats on the commission.

Sagsveen’s term ended Aug. 31, but he stayed on the commission while the committee was deciding who would take his position.

Armstrong previously said he opposed reappointing Sagsveen because he feels the Ethics Commission needs a “general reset.” The governor has expressed concerns that the Ethics Commission has overstepped its jurisdiction, and was especially critical of an advisory opinion the commission issued related to campaign finance. The North Dakota Attorney General on Friday voided the advisory opinion, finding that it could not advise on “general questions of law.”

Hogue and Hogan had strongly supported Sagsveen, in part to promote continuity on the five-member commission. Sagsveen had not commented publicly about the process until withdrawing last week.

“It has dragged on for several months and it’s in the best interest of the Ethics Commission that a person be appointed for a full four-year term,” Sagsveen told the North Dakota Monitor on Friday. “It was obvious to me that it was an impasse.”

The selection committee members discussed changing their procedures to make the commissioner appointment process smoother in the future. Armstrong recommended starting the application process earlier, for instance.

All three committee members also thanked Sagsveen for his service.

“I didn’t want this meeting to close without recognizing his extraordinary service,” Hogue said.

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