Welcome to the Prairie Principles Newsletter!

When the North Dakota Ethics Commission was formed in 2018 it received two directives from the newly-created Article XIV of North Dakota’s Constitution:  To adopt rules related to transparency, corruption, elections, and lobbying, as well as to investigate alleged violations of ethics rules and state laws related to transparency, corruptions, elections, and lobbying.  Shortly after formation, the Commission adopted the bedrock mission to strengthen the confidence of the citizens of North Dakota in their government by ensuring and promoting transparency and accountability. To meet its mission and fulfill its constitutional duties, the Commission recognized the importance of public education and has prioritized educating North Dakotans to create a culture of transparency and ethical decision-making in our state government. 

In 2023, the Commission adopted an education initiative aimed to educate key stakeholders and citizens of North Dakota about the mission, duties, and rules of the Ethics Commission.  Improving communications with North Dakotans is one of the foundational blocks of this educational initiative. 

Beginning with this inaugural release, the Commission plans to publish its quarterly newsletter, Prairie Principles, to keep the public up-to-date and informed about educational opportunities, proposed and newly adopted ethics rules, advisory opinions, and orders issued by the Commission.  The Prairie Principles Newsletter will also share the Commission’s recent statistics, meeting minutes, and upcoming meeting information.   Prairie Principles will also feature an educational Q&A on relevant and topical ethics issues   from the Commission’s general counsel, Logan Carpenter, in our “Learning with Logan” section.

We are excited to bring you this new platform and to connect with North Dakotans.  With that, I want to invite you to keep an eye on your inbox, subscribe to the Prairie Principles Newsletter, and partner with us to foster a culture of transparency and integrity in North Dakota!

With sincere thanks,

Rebecca Binstock
Executive Director, North Dakota Ethics Commission

Who does the Ethics Commission have authority over and what types of issues does it cover?

Generally, the Commission has authority over lobbyists, public officials, and candidates for public office. “Public official” is defined by Article XIV of the North Dakota Constitution as “any elected or appointed . . . official of the state’s executive or legislative branch, including members of the ethics commission, or members of the governor’s cabinet, or employees of the legislative branch.” This term does not include an executive branch employee unless the employee is appointed. The Commission has no authority over judicial branch officials and employees or officials at the local level like city, county, or other political subdivisions.

For quasi-judicial proceedings, the Commission has expanded authority. The Commission’s authority for a quasi-judicial proceeding covers “directors, officers, commissioners, heads, or other executives of agencies” taking part in the quasi-judicial proceeding. This expanded authority may include executive branch employees who are acting as a “director, officer, commissioner, head, or other executive” during a quasi-judicial proceeding.

Article XIV of the North Dakota Constitution directs the Ethics Commission to adopt rules related to: (1) transparency; (2) corruption; (3) elections; and (4) lobbying. The constitution further directs the Commission to investigate alleged violations of state law by lobbyists, public officials, and candidates for public office related to these four subject areas.

Logan Carpenter
General Counsel, North Dakota Ethics Commission

Do you have a topic for the next Learning with Logan? Let us know!

This section is not legal advice. If you have a question regarding specific facts, please consider requesting an advisory opinion.