Seven months,
three fires
The hot dogs are the funny part. They are also the third thing to land on this city since January, and the other two are not funny at all. Here is the whole term so far, in order.
Her told KSTP it would be “impossible” to close the $26 million gap without raising property taxes. Department heads were asked to model 4% cuts across the board, and a hiring freeze is on the table. Her budget lands mid-August — and is expected to include cuts to the Police Department, whose chief is the man who filed the complaint against her.
In July she announced the city would clear its three largest encampments. Nonprofits and community groups pushed back, and council members spent weeks asking her administration a question it had not answered: where are these people supposed to go? Pig’s Eye Park, the largest camp, is scheduled to be cleared August 5.
Seven months into the term, the police chief filed a formal sexual-harassment complaint against the mayor — and the city kept it from the Council for four of those months. KSTP asked her directly how residents can be sure she is focused on the first two items on this list.
The text
that started
all of this
Chief Axel Henry's attorney told the City Attorney that the mayor "used one or more mobile phones to communicate inappropriate, and, indeed, unlawful text messages." The letter included a screenshot. This is it.
"Happy Weiner Wednesday! Wish I was having a 🌭 with you all on 6 today!"
Context, for the record: a civilian SPPD employee has for years brought hot dogs in for staff on Wednesdays. Officers call it "Wiener Wednesday." That part is completely wholesome.
The Record
Showing 11 of 11Every item is an allegation published by a named Minnesota newsroom. None of it has been proven, the investigator's report has not been released, and the mayor denies nothing and admits nothing beyond "attempts at humor." Click any line to see the sourcing.
How we got here
Eight questions,
zero answers
KSTP 5 Eyewitness News put these eight questions to the mayor and her office. As of publication, no response had been received.
- 01How do you respond to the new, non-text allegations from a former female deputy chief regarding comments about breast size and making “sexual noises” at the police gym?
- 02Did you alter or tape your own portraits and images of shirtless fighters over the faces of Saint Paul Police leadership photos in the administrative offices? What was the intended purpose of doing so?
- 03A veteran deputy chief reportedly chose to retire early specifically due to what she termed a “creepy and highly-sexualized environment” created by you. Do you take responsibility for the loss of senior leadership within the Saint Paul Police Department?
- 04Were the communications in question sent from a private cell phone or a government-issued device? Will you voluntarily hand over all personal and official devices to investigators?
- 05An outside law firm has been retained since April. What is the current cost to Saint Paul taxpayers for this independent investigation?
- 06Council members say they had to learn about an active investigation involving their mayor through media reports. Why did your administration keep this investigation from the City Council for four months?
- 07This coincides directly with a $26 million city budget deficit and high-profile homeless encampment clearings. How can residents be sure you are focused on those issues rather than this?
- 08Chief Henry says he filed the formal complaint largely to protect lower-level subordinates from retaliation. What guardrails are you putting in place right now so no city employee faces consequences for cooperating?
In her own words
"As Mayor, I take my responsibility to treat every employee with professionalism and respect very seriously. I recognize that some of my attempts at humor fell short of the standard I expect of myself.
We have fully cooperated with the independent investigation since it began in April and will continue to do so. I respect the investigative process and believe it is important to allow it to reach its conclusion.
I remain confident that the full facts will come to light, and I will continue to focus on serving the people of St. Paul with integrity and dedication."
"Chief Henry has reached the decision to step forward as a formal complainant against the Mayor after becoming aware that the Mayor’s conduct has extended beyond isolated incidents and has included sexual harassment of subordinate City employees, including members of the Saint Paul Police Department."
"I think what we’ve got here is a crisis, and that crisis is whether the city of St. Paul is going to be open and transparent about the nature of this investigation."
"I’m frustrated that this situation is taking attention away from the serious challenges facing our city."
"This is going to be all-consuming, so all around it’s going to be a terrible situation."
The lineup
Seven months into her first term. Says she’s fully cooperating, that her humor fell short, and that she intends to stay in office.
Chief of Police since 2022. Filed the formal complaint on April 1 and says he did it partly to shield lower-ranking employees from retaliation.
A veteran commander who left rather than keep working in what she called a creepy and highly-sexualized environment. Not named here, at her request.
Wrote the April 1 letter. Put the city on notice that litigation is “reasonably foreseeable” and demanded a full extraction of the mayor’s phones.
Former acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota, now in private practice, representing the retired deputy chief.
Received the complaint. Confirmed the city has received exactly one formal complaint — the chief’s.
St. Cloud firm retained April 1. $290 an hour for attorneys, $180 for paralegals, no estimated total.
Ward 4 and Ward 3. Both learned of the investigation from the news; both called out the lack of transparency.
Roll the tape
Local news anchors have now said "Weiner Wednesday" on television, out loud, with straight faces. Here is the broadcast record.
Videos are embedded from YouTube and belong to the newsrooms that made them. Nothing here is ours.
Go read the real thing
We didn't report any of this. These newsrooms did. If you only click one link on this entire website, make it one of these.