ND lawmaker broke ethics rules voting to fund his own state lease, faced no penalty
On May 27, 2025, the North Dakota Ethics Commission found Rep. Jason Dockter (R-Bismarck) committed three ethics violations: he voted on HB 1004 (April 11, 2023) and HB 1003 (April 26, 2023) without disclosing that the bills funded leases on buildings his companies own and rent to the state, and a Burleigh County jury convicted him in May 2024 of a misdemeanor for speculating on official action. The building leased to the Attorney General's Office ran up $1.8 million in unexpected renovation costs. A judge gave him 250 hours of community service and about $2,825 in fines and fees, with the charge to be dismissed and sealed if he complied. The commission's rules set no penalties, so it referred the matter to the Legislative Assembly to decide on discipline. Dockter remains in the House.
Dockter and his business partners also renovated the building later that year, racking up $1.8 million in unexpected costs for the Attorney General’s Office, according to Forum archives.
A jury in North Dakota on Friday convicted a state lawmaker of a misdemeanor in connection with a state-leased building he has ownership ties to.
Representative Dockter engaged in an ethical violation on April 11, 2023 by failing to disclose a potential conflict of interest (a/k/a a personal or private interest) and proceeding to vote on HB 1004
The Commission found Representative Jason Dockter engaged in three ethical violations related to his ownership in entities that lease space to the State of North Dakota and his service in the Legislative Assembly.
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