North Dakota mayor resigns after sending lewd video to city attorney by mistake

Former Minot Mayor Tom Ross is shown in an undated headshot. (City of Minot/Instagram)

MINOT, N.D. (AP) -- The mayor of one of North Dakota’s largest cities resigned after an investigation into him mistakenly sending a lewd video to the city attorney.

Minot Mayor Tom Ross resigned Tuesday, the same day an investigative report was made public that found Ross sent a video of himself masturbating to City Attorney Stefanie Stalheim in January. He sent the video minutes after the two had a telephone call discussing a police officer’s suicide.

Ross asked Stalheim to delete the video, not to watch it and to keep the incident between them, the report said. Ross told an interviewer he had recorded the video at home during a lunch break and meant to send it to his romantic partner, not to Stalheim. He had said it was “a sexy video for his girlfriend.”

The report said Stalheim struggled with whether to make a formal report. Ross was her direct supervisor, and Stalheim’s annual review was pending at the time, the report said. Her complaint asked for an apology from Ross and that he consider resigning as mayor.

The investigator found Ross’s conduct “directly caused Stalheim’s inability to work in an environment free from unreasonable sexual harassment and created an offensive work environment.”

Ross said Wednesday he takes full responsibility and holds Stalheim “in the utmost regard and respect.” He said he had not resigned earlier “to respect the process.” He plans to focus on himself, healing and moving forward with his family, he said.

Telephone and email messages seeking comment were left for Stalheim Tuesday.

The Minot City Council voted on Tuesday to appoint a mayor from within the council after 15 days, which is the timeframe for citizens to petition for a special election.

Ross was elected mayor in 2022 after serving two years on the city council. Minot, about 50 miles (80kilometers) south of the Canadian border, is home to more than 47,000 people.