St. Paul’s first female mayor under investigation after police chief’s sexual harassment complaint

The city has hired an outside law firm to investigate the allegations against Mayor Kaohly Her, who has been in office for just seven months.

The St. Paul, Minnesota, police chief has submitted a sexual harassment complaint against the city’s first female mayor, alleging she behaved inappropriately toward him and other members of his department, the local NBC affiliate reported Wednesday.

The city has hired an outside law firm to investigate the allegations against Mayor Kaohly Her, who has been in office for just seven months.

Chief Axel Henry, who has led the St. Paul Police Department since 2022, outlined the allegations in an April 1 letter his lawyer sent to the St. Paul city attorney.

“The City is on notice that Mayor Her has engaged in illegal conduct towards City employees,” attorney Christopher Madel wrote in the letter, which was obtained by the NBC affiliate, KARE.

Henry sent the letter of complaint after having become “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.