Former North Dakota Workers’ Comp Director Contesting Felony Conviction

North Dakota’s former workers’ compensation director is asking the state Supreme Court for the second time to throw out his felony conviction for misspending public funds.

Sandy Blunt’s attorney told the Supreme Court that prosecutors didn’t give him crucial evidence.

Blunt was convicted in December 2008 of misspending more than $26,000 in Workforce Safety and Insurance funds. He was given a two-year deferred sentence with no jail time and a $2,000 fine for misspending public money. North Dakota’s Supreme Court has upheld Blunt’s conviction.

The state Supreme Court upheld Blunt’s conviction last year.

Blunt’s attorney, Mike Hoffman, said during Blunt’s trial, a state auditor testified Blunt should have tried to get a former employee to repay almost $8,000 in moving expenses.

The same auditor said in a memo that the money didn’t need to be repaid.

Justice Dale Sandstrom says Hoffman could have used the memo to discredit the auditor.

Burleigh County prosecutor Lloyd Suhr says Hoffman already had the information the memo contained.

Blunt unsucessfully requested a new trial in August 2010.