Labar Responses

Rob Port <robport@gmail.
com>
NDRL Response to your questions

1 message
Lancer LaBar <labarlancer72@gmail.com> Mon, Jun 19, 2023 at 8:02 AM

To: Rob Port <robport@gmail.com>
Dear Mr. Port,
I have included NDRL responses to your questions below. Please note that we have had many recommendations to ignore your
requests, but I am willing to give anyone a chance ONCE. I will again remind you that I expect my answers will be quoted accurately
and that any editing WILL NOT alter the original intent. I will look forward to receiving from you, the link to your article as soon as it
is published.
Sincerely,
Lancer L. LaBar
NDRL President
1) You referenced accusations of fraud in your statement. Can you tell me what those accusations are? And who made them?
We would like to know this as well! We simply have heard the accusations, without any specific detail.. Our accounting firm Eide
Bailly just completed an internal and extensive audit just last year. NDRL will be consulting with Eide Bailly again regarding this
issue. Our day-to-day staff is 2 and we’ve had 1 contractor for 6 months thus the accusations leave a very small group of individuals.
There has been a trail left from the accuser and we believe we know who it is but we are not willing to provide information beyond
that. They know who they are. They have to live with pushing a false narrative before us. NDRL will not partake in the damage of an
individual.
2) Was there any dissatisfaction among board members related to NDRL scoring lawmakers based on legislation expanding TANF?
Or eliminating the sales tax for children's diapers? Can you tell me how that was related to the staff contracts not being renewed?
Scoring ND legislators was a decision by our contracted Legislative Director ( lobbyist) Sierra Heitkamp and McKenzie McCoy, our
Executive Director. There was feedback from numerous ND lawmakers that didn’t like the format of scoring this session and the
discussion regarding NDRL score card hasn’t died down. NDRL will be addressing this in the future to ensure they are handled better
in the future, the board has discussed implementing a Legislative Committee for next session. Whether NDRL implements a
Legislative Committee is only in discussion and nothing has been approved. So if legislation and the score card is of interest to a
board member he/ she will possibly have an opportunity to weigh in but it’ll be next session.

3) Were Donna Magrum or Sandi Sanford involved in the contract decisions?
The decisions regarding contracts were made by the board unanimously. The contract on the table was Sierra Heitkamp, 6-month
contract with NDRL as Legislative Director ( lobbyist); it had an end date of May 31, 2023. The budget committee requested 90 days
to determine if we were able to offer her another contract. To be clear: the contract for Miss Sierra Heitkamp as Legislative Director
was for six months only, ending May 31st. If she were to continue on with NDRL, the Executive Director and contractor would
propose another contract to fit the job description, bring before the board and get approval. Facts are; contract date ended, board knew
to discontinue it and/or move based on another proposal. Another written contract was never proposed. When the Legislative Contract
wasn’t renewed or rolled over ( but again that wouldn’t have been best practice, we needed another written contract to reflect job) the
board was given an “all or none” ultimatum by the Executive Director. NDRL following best practices; opted to not renew the
legislative contract thus resulting in an immediate resignation of the Executive Director. Nobody was fired.
4) You indicated a financial review was a part of the ongoing contract negotiations. Is NDRL in financial jeopardy? I've been told
your recent fundraiser with Charlie Kirk was quite successful.
NDRL is not in financial jeoprady! For many years the NDRL Executive Director's have been allowed very broad authority over
financial decisions. Early in 2023, there was a NDRL Board decision to implement a Budget Committee. Putting this Budget
Committee together was an effort by NDRL Board to support, assist and provide all the tools and fiduciary practice to ensure day to
day procedures are within compliance. Again. There are only 2 staff; Executive Director and 1 staff. NDRL is growing and pushing
out a robust statewide outreach plan. It was clear that the office required additional support especially as we approached big events
such as the June 1 event in Mandan. The Budget Committee and financial review are just following good practice by ensuring that
funds are available as NDRL proceeds. The committee is in place to assist in making good financial decisions.
June 1 Kirk event was a great success with a wonderful turn out. 450 in attendance and we hit our evening financial goal.
NDRL Board has operated appropriately, overseeing the organization and stressing confidentiality, integrity and best practices. A
narrative like this to damage NDRL was unwarranted when it could’ve been handled with a phone call, meeting or over a cup of
coffee.

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Rob Port <robport@gmail.

NDRL Response to your questions

Lancer LaBar <labarlancer72@gmail.com> Mon, Jun 19, 2023 at 8:02 AM

Dear Mr. Port,

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