St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her said she's cooperating with an independent investigation into allegations that she sexually harassed city employees.
Police chief Axel Henry filed a complaint against the mayor in April for text messages she sent to city employees. Mayor Her said Wednesday that the texts were “attempts at humor" that fell short of the standard she expects of herself.
The city hired a law firm to investigate the complaint. Her said her office has “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,” Her said in the statement sent to MPR News on Wednesday.
In a letter to the city attorney and on social media, Henry's lawyer Chris Madel shared a text message that included a modified internet meme of a swaddled baby with an adult’s head.
The face in the image was replaced with that of a St. Paul police officer. Above it is a line of text that said "when she wraps you up in her blanket after you gave her a good weinering” followed by two laughing emojis.
“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,” Madel wrote.