Blunt in Court

Former North Dakota workers compensation director Sandy Blunt pleads not guilty to misspendi...  More »

Former North Dakota workers compensation director Sandy Blunt pleads not guilty to misspending agency funds. Blunt is charged with two felony counts of misapplication of entrusted property. Blunt is accused of spending about $18,000 in WSI funds on employee bonuses, gifts and trinkets. Authorities say Blunt spent money he was not authorized to spend. Blunts case has gotten a lot of publicity because of his position. And because of how long it's been in the news. Blunt was charged in April 2007 with the crimes. Judge Robert Wefald dismissed the charges last August. However the Supreme Court reinstated the charges in June. Assistant Burleigh County State's Attorney, Cynthia Feland, says it's hard to say if it will be difficult to find a jury. (Cynthia Feland / Asst. Burleigh Co. Attorney) a lot of the information is public information as part of the case, you typically don't see that in criminal cases that we try. So that makes it more difficult to try because they have more knowledge than they would in the average case we try. The state is prepared to call 28 witnesses many of them are former or current WSI employees. (Feland) Basically they are all people that have information on expenditures made by Mr. Blunt which the state takes the posisition of missapplication of entrusted funds in the capacity of the director of WSI. Attornies say they expect the trial to take a week. Judge Bruce Romanick tentatively set Blunts trial to start in December. Blunt was fired as the agency's director last December after about four years on the job.  « Less