Mayor of St. Paul Facing Investigation for Misconduct
Kaohly Her, the Democratic Mayor of St. Paul, is currently under independent investigation related to allegations of sexual harassment and workplace misconduct, which have been brought to light by the city’s Police Chief, Axel Henry.
The complaints, initially filed in April 2026 by Chief Henry’s attorney, Chris Madel, allege that the mayor has a history of inappropriate behavior directed at municipal employees, particularly within the police department.
Local news reports, including those from the Minnesota Star Tribune and MPR News, indicate that the allegations involve sexually suggestive text messages sent by the 53-year-old mayor to staff members.
These texts reportedly contained crude references to informal gatherings within the police department, with specific mentions like “Weiner Wednesday” and other inappropriate remarks targeting municipal personnel.
A report from the New York Post mentioned an instance where the mayor allegedly sent a photo of an infant with a staff member’s face superimposed, along with the message, “When she wraps you up in her blanket after you gave her a good weinering.”
While representatives for the mayor argue that she was referring to hot dogs—despite the spelling issue—the term certainly carries sexual undertones. Many officials have raised concerns that her behavior is inappropriate given her position.
In his complaint, Madel emphasized that the mayor’s behavior isn’t a singular incident but reflects a larger pattern of harassment within the city’s administration.
In response to the allegations, the city has brought in an outside law firm to conduct a formal investigation.
Although city officials have maintained silence on the specifics of the ongoing inquiry, a spokesperson for Mayor Her, Matt Wagenius, shared that the mayor respects all city employees and regrets any unintentional harm her actions may have caused.
Currently, Her’s administration is not providing further comments while the investigation is underway.
