Midwest
Elections official's challenge to North Dakota mail-in ballot law dismissed
- U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Traynor ruled Friday against Burleigh County, North Dakota Auditor Mark Splonskowski in a lawsuit brought by the latter over the Peace Garden State’s mail-in ballot-counting practices.
- Splonskowski’s challenge specifically concerned the acceptance of mail-in ballots after Election Day, arguing it runs afoul of federal law.
- The lawsuit, backed by a pro-Trump legal group, was discarded after Splonskowski failed to demonstrate that the law harmed him or violated his constitutional rights.
A federal judge in North Dakota has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the acceptance of mail-in ballots after Election Day brought by a county election official and backed by a legal group aligned with former President Donald Trump.
In his Friday ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Traynor said Burleigh County Auditor Mark Splonskowski lacks standing to bring the case, and failed to show he was harmed by the law or that his constitutional rights will be violated. The auditor alleged state and federal law conflict as to the counting of mail ballots received after Election Day.
“According to Splonskowski, following his understanding of federal law will inevitably result in criminal prosecution under North Dakota law because he will have to forego his duty to follow North Dakota election law,” Traynor wrote, adding later, “This is deeply concerning to the Court that an elected official openly advocates for violating the law he was elected to enforce because he has independently concluded it contradicts federal law.”
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The judge also said the reasoning in Splonskowski’s lawsuit, if successful, “could be utilized against” overseas and military voters’ rights to vote.
“This, indeed, is a concerning position for an elected official to take,” wrote Traynor, who also said Splonskowski should have asked the local state’s attorney for an opinion about the legal conflict he alleged.
“He may wish to do so before the next election as it may avoid his potential prosecution … or removal from office,” the judge said in a footnote citing state laws for those avenues.
North Dakota Republican Secretary of State Michael Howe welcomed the ruling as “a win for the rule of law in North Dakota and a win for our military and overseas voters.” About 29% of North Dakota voters cast their ballots by mail in the November 2022 general election.
Burleigh County Auditor Mark Splonskowski is photographed in front of the state Capitol in Bismarck, North Dakota, July 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Jack Dura, File)
In September, the judge had asked the parties whether he should dismiss the case because Splonskowski had no approval from the county commission to sue in his official capacity as auditor. He said he brought the lawsuit against the state’s election director as an individual and not in an official capacity. The judge found otherwise.
Splonskowski, backed by the Public Interest Legal Foundation, filed the lawsuit against the state election director in July. He argued he “faces an impossibility in enforcing the law” around whether to accept mail-in ballots received after election day, alleging federal and state law conflict as to when those ballots must be turned in. He claimed he risks criminal penalties.
Foundation spokesperson Lauren Bowman Bis said, “We are disappointed in the Court’s ruling. We believe unresolved elections undermine confidence and that federal law should be followed.”
North Dakota law allows mailed ballots received after election day to be counted by county canvassing boards, which meet 13 days after the election, but those ballots must be postmarked before the date of the election.
In September, attorneys for the Voting Section of the U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division filed a statement of interest in the case, saying North Dakota’s law is consistent with federal law, and ensures military and overseas voters have enough time for their ballots to be counted.
The foundation brought voting-related lawsuits in Pennsylvania and Arizona amid Trump’s claims of 2020 election fraud.
Splonskowski was elected in 2022 as the top election official in the county that is home to Bismarck, North Dakota’s capital city.
A similar lawsuit filed last week in Mississippi by Republican entities, including the Republican National Committee, also targets mail ballots received after election day.
Political observers say the efforts would disenfranchise or penalize voters, if successful.
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Midwest
‘Family Mob’ gang members, associates charged in major Minneapolis fentanyl trafficking case: DOJ
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Five alleged members and associates of the “Family Mob” street gang have been charged in a major fentanyl trafficking case in Minneapolis, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Three indictments and two criminal complaints were unsealed in the District of Minnesota accusing the defendants of distributing fentanyl, crack cocaine and other controlled substances in south Minneapolis.
Authorities allege the group collectively possessed with intent to distribute more than seven kilograms of fentanyl since July 2025 and operated a de facto open-air drug market near Lake Street and Park Avenue, using force to push out other dealers.
Those charged include Silk Lamond Davis, 48, of Minneapolis; Alexisus Jarmon Mosby, 44, of Bloomington; Kiron Jamoll Williams, 43, of Minneapolis; Rashshon Jamahl Taggett, 44, of Minneapolis; and Lakendrick Darnell Gilliam, 38, of St. Paul.
Seized narcotics are displayed as authorities announce the preliminary results of a large-scale investigation involving local and federal agencies on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2026. (Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office)
The charges range from possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine to distribution of fentanyl and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
Law enforcement agencies executed multiple arrest and search warrants Wednesday morning targeting the gang and its members, officials said.
If convicted, the defendants face penalties of up to life in prison on the most serious drug trafficking charges.
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Federal and local law enforcement announced that they seized 3.5 million lethal doses of fentanyl in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (KMSP)
“Our investigation shows that combined, those charged were responsible for the distribution of enough fentanyl for more than 3.5 million lethal doses in the last seven months,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen at a press briefing.
He told reporters that seven others were also taken into custody on related state charges, bringing the total number arrested to 12.
Rick Evanchec, interim special agent in charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis field office, said the coordinated operation to dismantle the “Family Mob” gang involved a sweeping, multi-agency effort across the metropolitan area.
Before dawn, eight SWAT teams and law enforcement personnel from the FBI, Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) executed 14 search warrants targeting narcotics, firearms and other evidence tied to the alleged criminal enterprise.
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Seized narcotics are displayed as authorities announce the preliminary results of a large-scale investigation involving local and federal agencies on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2026. (Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office)
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Evanchec said the gang has operated since the 1990s, distributing narcotics and using violence to control territory in Minneapolis neighborhoods.
“The Family Mob Gang ruled by intimidation and violence, and wrongly assumed they could operate with impunity,” DEA Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie said in a statement. “Today, the combined efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement imparted a significant blow to the drug trafficking efforts of a gang that has spread poison through a beloved Minneapolis community.”
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RALEIGH, N.C. – The Carolina Hurricanes will try to extend their point streak to a dozen games on Saturday, when they go head-to-head with the Detroit Red Wings.
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When: Saturday, February 28
Puck Drop: 7:00 p.m. ET
Watch: FanDuel Sports Network South, FanDuel Sports Network App | Learn More
Listen: 99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes App
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Canes Record: 37-15-6 (80 Points, 1st – Metropolitan Division)
Canes Last Game: 5-4 Win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, Feb. 26
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Red Wings Record: 34-19-6 (74 Points, T-2nd – Atlantic Division)
Red Wings Last Game: 2-1 Win (OT) over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, Feb. 26
MILWAUKEE – Landmark Credit Union Live, Milwaukee’s newest concert venue, opened its doors on Friday. And with the Bucks playing next door at the same time, the whole area was hopping.
What they’re saying:
Fans flocked to Fiserv Forum to watch the team play the New York Knicks, and music lovers stood in line to see Rainbow Kitten Surprise on the opening night of Landmark Credit Union Live.
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“Very busy, very crowded the bars and restaurants,” said Ashley Evans. “That’d be great to add to the city again, to continue to bring more tourists out.”
“This is going to be amazing. I’ve been wanting to see them for a very long time, so I’m very excited,” said Rachel Lococo.
Fans line up for the official opening of Landmark Credit Union Live
Landmark Credit Union Live can host up to 4,500 people. Friday night’s show was sold out, drawing fans from places like Chicago, Minnesota, Iowa and elsewhere.
“Some people have driven from Indiana, so there’s a lot of people coming out tonight,” said Kade McCane, who came from Madison. “Honestly, really exciting to be among the first people who get to be there, and for RKS to be among the first people who will ever perform here, I hope this venue gets huge and big and becomes very popular.”
The excitement was felt all around Milwaukee. Even the competition rolled out the welcome mat.
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“Our goal to grow as a city means that a lot of things have to happen. This is the very, tiny, small work that has to happen,” said Gary Witt, president and CEO of The Pabst Theater Group, which runs six nearby venues.
“The introduction of any new business in the city, especially one that pays attention to the fact that we have spent 24 years growing the live culture economy in the city of Milwaukee, says to me that we’ve done our job.”
Witt said live entertainment is an industry Milwaukee’s economy has been dependent on coming from visitors like those who turned out Friday.
The Source: FOX6 News interviewed the people in this story and referenced prior coverage related to the opening of Landmark Credit Union Live.
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