‘Happy Weiner Wednesday!’: Minnesota mayor accused of sexually harassing city’s police chief and other staff
The police chief from St. Paul, Minnesota, has accused the city’s mayor of sexual harassment against him and other city employees, including sending a message wishing a “Happy Weiner Wednesday!”
The city has been put on notice that Mayor Kaohly Her “has engaged in illegal conduct towards city employees,” Chris Madel, a lawyer for Police Chief Axel Henry, wrote in an April 1 letter to St. Paul City Attorney Irene Kao, as reported by local media.
The letter included a screenshot of a text message allegedly sent by Her to an unnamed city worker that read, “Happy Weiner Wednesday! Wish I was having a [hot dog emoji] with you all on 6 today!”
Below the message is a partially redacted photo of what appears to be a swaddled baby with the caption, “When she wraps you up in her blanket after you gave her a good weinering,” with two laughing emojis, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune and KARE 11.
The redacted part of the photo was the face of a St. Paul police officer on Her’s security team superimposed on the baby, a person familiar with the matter told the Star Tribune.
The term “Weiner Wednesdays” has been coined by some employees for a weekly event where a civilian worker brings in hot dogs for some St. Paul Police Department staff, according to the Star Tribune’s sources.
Her said in a statement shared with The Independent, “As Mayor, I take my responsibility to treat every employee with professionalism and respect very seriously. I recognize that some of my attempts at humor fell short of the standard I expect of myself.”
When reached for further comment, Madel said 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.”
Henry decided to file a formal complaint 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,” Madel wrote in his letter.
The attorney has demanded the city “immediately take all steps necessary” to extract data from Her’s phones.
Madel warned in the letter that litigation is “reasonably foreseeable.”
The Independent has reached out to the mayor’s office for comment.
The city of St. Paul has hired an outside law firm to investigate the sexual harassment claims against Her, who was elected as the first woman mayor last fall, according to the Star Tribune.
The person familiar with the matter who spoke with the publication said sexualized communications and unwanted physical contact from Her directed at Henry are included in the probe.
Her said in the statement to The Independent that the mayor’s 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.”
