Former North Dakota lawmaker Ray Holmberg, 80, is scheduled to plead guilty Thursday to charges of traveling to Europe with the intent to pay for sex with a minor. Indicted in October 2023, Holmberg signed a plea agreement in June. The plea stipulates that while he will plead guilty to the travel charge, other charges will be dismissed if prosecutors' recommendation is accepted.
The case brought to light Holmberg's repeated travels to Prague between 2011 and 2016 to engage in illicit activity with minors under 18. Holmberg, who faces a potential 30-year prison sentence, a $250,000 fine, and lifetime supervision, will also be required to register as a sex offender. His pretrial release conditions—among them travel restrictions and local monitoring—have been violated several times, prompting concerns raised by US Pretrial Services Officer Christine Argall. In a report filed Friday, she noted he had been chided and reminded of those conditions after he visited an adult novelty store without permission. She said he also "continuously" accessed the Internet for unapproved reasons.
Holmberg, a former influential Republican who chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee, initially stated he wouldn't seek reelection but later resigned amid an investigation. Former US Attorney Tim Purdon said the case stands as one of North Dakota's most significant political scandals. "You have a very high-profile politician. You have literally the worst allegation you possibly could come up with, the sexual abuse and rape of a child," he said. "And then you have the idea that tax dollars paid for the plane ticket." As for the alleged violations of his pretrial release conditions, Purdon characterized them as serious, while noting the report was a routine filing. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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