The mayor of Minot in North Dakota has submitted a resignation letter after failing to explain why he sent x-rated videos to female colleagues.
City Attorney Stefanie Stalheim filed a complaint two weeks after allegedly receiving a text with a sexually explicit video from Mayor Tom Ross in January, according to the investigation report published on Tuesday. Her complaint triggered an investigation into the non-partisan mayor’s conduct.
Ross confirmed he was in the video, which he said he recorded on his lunch break and then sent to Stalheim by mistake, the report said.
The report explained Ross intended to send the video to his partner, whose name starts with ‘C’ but instead sent it to the “City Attorney.”
Ross sent his resignation letter hours before the city council’s special meeting on Tuesday, which accepted the investigation report.
“I have tried to be too much to too many people. I failed,” his letter read.
The council members emphasized their desire to move on from the situation, with Council President Mark Jantzer taking on mayoral duties for the next 15 days.
“The city has been through an awful lot. City organization, city staff, just the people of our city have been through a lot,” said council member Mike Blessum.
Council member Rob Fuller also said the city had been faced with many challenges, and he is disappointed in another moment of “poor leadership”.
“The well-being of our city, as Alderman Blessum said, has been on shaky ground more often than we care to admit over the last few years and months,” Fuller said. “We’ve been faced with challenges that most cities never have to endure.”
“Today, I sit before you with a heart overcome by sadness and disappointment as we face yet another moment of poor leadership in our city’s history.”
In a statement to KFYR TV, Ross apologized for the mistake and said he would always respect Stalheim.
“The decision I made falls in line with all my work on behalf of the city of Minot. I put my heart and soul into this community,” he added.
Ross served as mayor since 2022 and was on the council the two years before.
The council unanimously approved a motion to appoint a current council member to take on Ross’s remaining term until June after the initial 15-day time period. The council would then have to replace the empty council member seat.
However, in the first 15 days, residents can submit a petition for a special election rather than have the council appoint someone.
