Reports: St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her facing sexual harassment complaint from police chief

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - St. Paul’s mayor faces a sexual harassment complaint from the city’s police chief, raising questions about conduct at the highest levels of city government.

Police chief files complaint against mayor

What we know:

St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry has filed a formal complaint against Mayor Kaohly Her, accusing her of making inappropriate sexual comments to him and other city employees. 

A report from the New York Times cites a letter sent to the St. Paul city attorney by Henry’s attorney, Chris Madel, in April. The letter says Chief Henry planned "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." 

What they're saying:

"Chief Henry just helped crack a triple homicide in under four hours — that's the work he's focused on right now: keeping citizens safe. No comment beyond that," Madel said in a statement to FOX 9. 

The complaint includes allegations about a text message Mayor Her sent to a city employee. It included an image, along with the message, "When she wraps you up in a blanket after you gave her a good weinering," and two crying-laughing emojis. 

Mayor’s response and ongoing investigation

The backstory:

Mayor Her, the first female and Hmong mayor of St. Paul, was sworn in back in January. She promised to make the city work better, but now her behavior in office is under scrutiny.

The city has reportedly hired an outside law firm to conduct an investigation into the mayor's conduct, according to the NYT. 

The St. Paul Police Department declined to comment on the matter at this time. 

FOX 9 has reached out to Madel's office to obtain a copy of the April letter, but attempts have thus far been unsuccessful. 

The other side:

A statement from the mayor’s spokesperson says, "To protect confidentiality and the integrity of the process, the city will not comment on an active investigation. The mayor has deep respect for city employees and regrets any unintended impact her actions have had." 

It is not clear what the next steps in the investigation will be or how long the process may take. Details about other possible allegations or responses from additional city officials have not been released.

St. PaulKaohly Her