North Dakota
Port: Court filings allege years of domestic violence by expelled former ND lawmaker
MINOT — On March 4, 2021, the North Dakota House of Representatives stopped its busy legislative schedule to consider harassment accusations against state Rep. Luke Simons of Dickinson.
The claims against Simons spanned years and included not just staff at the Bismarck Capitol and news media members but also some of his fellow lawmakers, such as Grand Forks Rep. Emily O’Brien and Casselton Rep. Brandy Pyle, both Republicans. Ultimately, the House made the unprecedented move of
voting to expel Simons,
something that had never happened before in state history.
That expulsion has become one of the fault lines in the North Dakota Republican Party, dividing traditional conservatives from an ascendant faction of MAGA populists closely aligned with former President Donald Trump.
Many outspoken members of the populist faction — including former lawmaker Rick Becker, who is currently seeking election to the U.S. House of Representatives and opposed Simons’ expulsion during floor debate in 2021 — have claimed that Simons was removed improperly and wasn’t afforded due process.
Now Simons, who has stayed active in politics, including providing
a recent defense of a Williston-area Republican lawmaker
who has refused to resign after berating law enforcement officers with homophobic slurs during a DUI arrest, is accused of a years-long history of mental and physical abuse against his wife and children. That’s according to court documents in a divorce proceeding his wife filed in June 2023. The filings, in which she is the plaintiff, indicate that the two have been separated since October 2021.
Forum Communications Company does not typically name the survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.
“Throughout our marriage, Luke has a history of assaulting myself and our children,” states a declaration filed in the case by the plaintiff on March 1, 2024. “Social service reports exist that document Luke has beat our children with a 2×4, extension cords, and also used a crowbar for spankings. He has run into me with a 4 wheeler, attacked me until I was on the floor, punched my nose and broke my glasses and phone.”
“Luke punched the walls of our home and choked me until I passed out,” the declaration continues. “We have been separated following a significant domestic violence incident in October 2021, in which Luke assaulted me and bit one of our daughters, requiring the intervention of Luke’s father and our church.”
The filing includes photos of the bite wound. The plaintiff alleges that Simons bit another of their children after becoming frustrated while teaching that child to drive.
One exhibit in the case is a testimonial from Simons’ wife dated November 2021, just months after Luke Simons’ expulsion from the Legislature. Titled “My Story,” it contains allegations of abuse by Luke Simons against his wife dating back to their wedding night in 1999.
Describing it as “such a happy, scary, time for a young lady,” the plaintiff indicates that she “did something wrong or said something wrong and made him upset” at which point “he pushed me out of bed and I slept on the floor” with “no clothes and no blankets.”
She also alleges that Luke raped her in the basement of his parent’s home after a Wednesday church meeting, and that he perpetrated physical abuse against her — everything from kicks to punches to choking and slaps — during the more than 18 years they lived together on their ranch. “I found out that chains really hurt and even leave chain shaped bruises,” she wrote.
She claims that Luke accused her of being deficient in her “Bible studies” because she was “missing the part about wives being submissive to their husbands.” She says Luke claims she was talking “with a bad attitude just like liberal Democrats.”
Under a section of the document titled “Reasons to get away,” the plaintiff wrote, “I don’t remember the last time I felt 100% safe and secure in my own home.” She also wrote that she wants to “get away from Luke and his weird ideas about women and girls and their proper place.”
In his own court filings, Luke Simons doesn’t dispute that abuse occurred in the marriage.
“Plaintiff alleges Defendant was abusive throughout the parties’ entire relationship,” a pre-trial brief filed by Luke Simons’s legal counsel states. “Defendant does not deny that abuse occurred but does deny that it occurred to the extent Plaintiff claims. He admits that he has made mistakes in the past and has sought counseling to overcome his issues.”
At least one member of Simons’ own family also acknowledges that abuse occurred in the relationship. One of the exhibits in the plaintiff’s filings is a text message sent by Ben Simons, brother to Luke Simons, to the couple’s children in which he refers to “wrong” perpetrated by his brother even as he opposes the divorce.
“Your mom is still proceeding with divorcing your dad,” he wrote in the Aug. 10, 2023, text. “There is not one spiritual leader in her life that has condoned this. Your mom is being wrong. I know your dad has been very wrong for a lot of your growing up years but now it’s your mom that is in the wrong.”
“I wished so bad that your whole family would’ve not covered up the wrong that your dad did and maybe your family could’ve been helped sooner,” Ben Simons, a former Republican candidate for the Legislature, continued. “I was so mad at your dad when I found out, I couldn’t even talk to him. Now I don’t want to cover up what wrong your mom is doing.”
I sent a list of questions to Jamie Haynes, attorney for Luke Simons in this proceeding. I asked him which specific allegations of abuse Luke Simons denies.
Haynes told me his client declined to answer. “This is a private family matter that involves children. Luke won’t defend himself. He loves his family and hopes that this can be reconciled in the future.”
Sandra Kuntz, an attorney who is representing the plaintiff in these proceedings, declined to comment on behalf of her client.
The Bison are in the game. For real, this time.
When EA Sports brought back its College Football title in 2024 after a decade-plus hiatus, FCS teams were not included. That’s still the case as the game moves into the third year of its revival, but, of course, North Dakota State has moved up to the FBS level, as members of the Mountain West.
And one of the perks of that move is inclusion in the popular sports simulation. Participating players get $1,500 plus a free copy of this year’s game, College Football 27.
Not bad, huh?
I can only imagine how cool it is for a kid like Abraham Myers, a tight end from Sioux Falls Washington High School, to see himself as a playable character on a millions-selling PlayStation game, but it’s cool for fans, too.
If you’re a Bison fan, it’s all right there. The Fargodome (sorta, EA didn’t bother to include the name, calling it ‘North Dakota State Stadium’), Tim Polasek, the Bison mascot — OK, that’s really about all the detail they went into, and Polasek’s likeness leaves a bit to be desired. Then again, they still haven’t made much effort to make Kalen DeBeoer look like Kalen DeBoer, so whatever, I guess.
In the past you could still play as NDSU, or SDSU, or USD, or Augustana, or Roosevelt High School, or St. Mother Theresa’s Middle School for the Deaf, or any other team, real or imagined, because of the game’s “Create a team” engine, and that’s still there on this year’s game. There are already a few Jackrabbit teams up on the servers that you can download if you’re an SDSU fan and want to play as the Jacks.
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But Bison fans (and Sac State fans, and Missouri State fans, etc., etc.) don’t have to do that. Their team is in the game, with their actual stadium and their actual coach and their actual players, and when I fired up the game on Thursday just an hour after it officially launched, I’ll admit it, the first thing I did was start a game in Fargo, pitting New Mexico against the Bison in the Fargodome for a Mountain West clash that sent former SDSU assistant Jason Eck up against his old Dakota Marker nemesis.
The game started up and there they were: Nathan Hayes under center for the Bison, with DJ Scott carrying the ball, Jackson Williams running free over the middle and Myers teaming with Reis Kessel at tight end to create problems in the red zone.
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I went right down the field and scored on the opening drive, with Hayes finding Williams on a drag route for the touchdown.
Despite the best efforts of New Mexico’s star linebacker and former Brookings Bobcat Jaxton Eck (Jason’s son), I had no trouble dispatching the Lobos 31-10.
Later I played around with some other fun matchups.
I brought Nebraska into the Dome, and while we all know the Huskers stink now, for someone like me who’s old enough to remember their Glory Days, it was fun to see the iconic Nebraska uniforms on the Fargo turf, and wonder if someday that could actually happen now that NDSU is in the FBS.
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Later I played a game at the Big House in Ann Arbor, sending the Bison up against the Wolverines. Michigan got the ball first and after a holding penalty pinned them deep in their own territory, Keenan Wilson’s strip-sack of Bryce Underwood gave the Bison first and goal, and with the Miaze and Blue crowd of over 100,000 roaring, I quickly turned it into a short touchdown pass from Hayes to Myers.
Ultimately I couldn’t keep that up against the Wolverines, falling 31-21.
I played around with some other teams, mostly the ones with familiar faces. Jimmy Rogers and Iowa State, Matt Entz at Fresno State, Missouri State, Kennesaw State, Sac State, Delaware and other former FCS powers.
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I also played a few series of the Tennessee vs. Alabama rivalry game to get an early glimpse of what kind of teams South Dakota’s two favorite SEC sons (DeBoer and Josh Heupel) might have in store for 2026.
Much has been made of trying to predict how successful the Bison will be in year one at the FBS level. Some have already anointed them a favorite to grab a G6 playoff spot. Others think they’ll at least win the Mountain West, while few seem to think they’ll finish much lower than third or fourth.
What does EA think?
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The Bison are given an overall team rating of 75 (99 is the highest possible), which is higher than many if not most G6 teams. James Madison, for one, gets a 77.
The other Mountain West teams earned the following ratings:
Air Force – 74
Hawaii – 76
Nevada – 73
New Mexico – 76
Northern Illinois – 70
San Jose State – 72
UNLV – 78
UTEP – 72
Wyoming – 73
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As for the NDSU players, here are their top rated personnel:
Griffin Empey (LG): 87
DJ Scott (RB): 83
Keenan Wilson (DT): 80
Darius Glance (SS): 79
Myles Mitchell (RB): 78
Josh Magin (RT): 78
Donovan Woolen (LB): 78
Keith Williams (LB): 78
Logan Larson (DT): 77
Jackson Williams (WR): 76
Matthew Stenbroten (DE): 76
Zach Vanderpool (DT): 76
Alijah Wayne (DT): 76
Jaylin Crumby (FS): 75
Kelton McCaslin (DE): 75
Reis Kessel (TE): 75
Nathan Hayes (QB): 74
Nate Tastad (RG): 74
Taylen Eady (FS): 73
Ryan Babatz (LT): 73
Alex Jenkins (LT): 73
DJ Volts (CB): 72
Mekhi Collins (WR): 71
Jack Liwienski (OG): 71
EJ Davis (CB): 71
Will Steil (FS): 70
Drew Klein (K): 70
Makes you wonder how players like Chase Mason and Charles Pierre would measure up. Maybe someday the Jacks, Coyotes and Fighting Hawks will be in the game and we’ll find out.
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Matt Zimmer is a Sioux Falls native and longtime sports writer. He graduated from Washington High School where he played football, legion baseball and developed his lifelong love of the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. After graduating from St. Cloud State University, he returned to Sioux Falls, and began a long career in amateur baseball and sports reporting. Email Matt at mzimmer@siouxfallslive.com.
BISMARCK — A West Fargo attorney has been appointed to the North Dakota Ethics Commission.
According to a release, Lisa Edison-Smith was appointed to the commission Tuesday, July 7, to fill the unexpired term of Commissioner Ronald Goodman, who will retire from the board.
Edison-Smith works for Vogel Law Firm, from which she plans to retire at the end of the year, the release said. She specializes in employment and labor law and is also the editor of the North Dakota Employment Law Letter, a monthly publication providing guidance to employers.
Edison-Smith graduated from North Dakota State University and Hamline University School of Law. She was a clerk for the Minnesota Supreme Court and worked in finance and accounting roles at GTE Corp., the release said.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to bring my legal experience and problem-solving skills to the important work of the Commission,” Edison-Smith said via release. “Together, I believe we can improve public trust and deepen the Commission’s commitment to accountability and transparency in North Dakota.”
Commissioners are appointed by consensus of the governor and majority and minority leader of the North Dakota Senate.
Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.
North Dakota
Schulz to transition from ND Parks and Recreation to ND Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Gov. Kelly Armstrong today announced that North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department Director Cody Schulz is leaving the agency next month to assume the role of chief financial officer in the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, effective Aug. 17.
Schulz has led Parks and Recreation since being appointed director by then-Gov. Doug Burgum in October 2021. Armstrong reappointed Schulz to the position upon taking office in December 2024. Schulz previously served 13 years in the state Department of Emergency Services (DES), including as business manager and finance officer for seven years and as the state’s director of Homeland Security from 2018 to 2021. Prior to joining DES, he spent nearly 13 years in the private sector as a business owner, account specialist and government and public affairs analyst.
“Parks and Recreation has thrived under Cody’s leadership, opening a new state park at Pembina Gorge, expanding and improving existing parks, making major investments in infrastructure and enhancing visitor experiences,” Armstrong said. “While we will miss his leadership of the agency, we’re excited that he has decided to continue serving the citizens of North Dakota at DOCR, where his experience in finance and accounting will serve the department well.”
“This was an incredibly difficult decision, one driven primarily by the desire to travel less and spend more time with family, especially my aging parents. At the same time, my new role at DOCR allows me to work in finance and public safety – two passions that have shaped much of my career,” Schulz said. “I am filled with gratitude for the team at Parks and Recreation, and I leave with complete confidence in this organization. This is an exceptionally talented team filled with capable, dedicated people who care deeply about one another, our mission, and the citizens we serve.”
A native of New Salem, N.D., Schulz earned an associate’s degree from Bismarck State College, a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Dickinson State University and an MBA from the University of North Dakota. He also served on the Morton County Commission from 2012 to 2020, including as chairman in 2016, 2017 and 2020, and as a member of the Morton County Park Board for eight years.
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