The first female mayor of St. Paul, Kaohly Her, is under investigation for sexual harassment after a formal complaint was filed by the city’s police chief, Axel Henry.
City officials have hired an outside law firm to conduct an independent inquiry into allegations that Her sent inappropriate messages to employees, including members of the police department, according to The New York Times and NBC News.
A letter dated April 1, addressed to city attorney Irene Kao, was written by Chris Madel, counsel for Police Chief Henry. The letter claims Her, a Democratic former state representative born in Laos, engaged in a prolonged campaign of harassment using one or more mobile phones.
Chief Henry, who has served since 2022, said he decided to file a formal complaint because the mayor’s conduct extended beyond isolated incidents and included sexual harassment of subordinate city employees, including police officers.
The letter includes a screenshot of a message allegedly sent by Her to an employee, wishing them a “Happy Weiner Wednesday”, accompanied by a redacted image, laughing emojis, and the caption “when she wraps you up in her blanket after you gave her a good weinering”—a misspelt reference to sexual intercourse.
An employment‑law attorney, Cally Kjellberg‑Nelson of Resolute Law, is conducting the investigation; the Times reported that she did not respond to an email for further comment.
The Guardian reached out to Mayor Her’s office for comment.
In a written statement to NBC, Her said she had cooperated with the investigation and believed “the full facts will come to light.” She added: “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.”
Mayor spokesperson Matt Wagenius said in an email that the mayor could not answer questions about the ongoing inquiry, adding that “the mayor has deep respect for city employees and regrets any unintended impact her actions may have had.” He declined to confirm whether the investigation report would be released, noting the city would “honor all applicable laws when making the determination.”
Attorney Madel said Chief Henry would not be giving media interviews but “will do everything to ensure that appropriate conduct is modeled and followed in the St. Paul police department.”
The letter states Henry made “a thoughtful, deliberate decision” to file the complaint to protect city and police department employees, citing concerns that without formal action the behavior could continue unchecked and expose others to retaliation.
Her, 53, served six years in the Minnesota House of Representatives before defeating incumbent Mayor Melvin Carter in the 2025 election. She immigrated to the United States at age three as part of a refugee resettlement program after the Vietnam War and has been a vocal opponent of federal immigration raids in the Twin Cities, a stance shaped by the deaths of two unarmed citizen protesters.
Police Chief Henry has also spoken out against the increase in ICE and border‑patrol activity ordered by the Trump administration, telling the Times in January that residents were “scared to death” and “afraid to go outside.”
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