A Workforce, Safety and Insurance executive says there was nothing illegal about activity described in a personal journal taken from his office by investigators on Friday.

He also says a WSI employee may have gone through his desk and removed items from it, then tipped off investigators.

Mark Armstrong, communications executive for WSI, held a news conference at the Bismarck Public Library Wednesday afternoon, saying he would only talk about what was in his journal.

He also provided copies of the journal, which were made while the Bureau of Criminal Investigation investigator was present, Armstrong said. The journal detailed daily events from April 18 to May 8, after Executive Director Sandy Blunt and Special Investigations Director Romi Leingang were charged with felonies.

The felonies were dismissed last week.

BCI and the Burleigh County state's attorney's office would not comment on the investigation regarding Armstrong's journal; Armstrong said he believed someone "tipped them off" about a possible open records violation, adding that investigators seem to know exactly what they were looking for and where to look.

Armstrong's news conference comes after a flurry of WSI activity surfaced over the past week: Blunt and Leingang returned to work Monday after felony conspiracy charges against them were dropped; top counsel Jodi Bjornson said the Burleigh County state's attorney's office defamed her; and three WSI employees, including Bjornson, filed requests for "whistleblower" protection.

The Whistleblower Act, or the Public Employees Relations Act, essentially protects employees of a state agency from retaliation for reporting what they feel is illegal or a misuse of public resources. Reports must be made in writing to the employee's respective agency head, a state's attorney, the attorney general or an employee organization, according to the North Dakota Century Code.

The other two employees who requested protection, Billi Peltz and James Long, cited open records violations in their requests. Hard copies of the requests were delivered to the attorney general's office on Monday.

Long, WSI chief of support services, wrote in his request that he had read an employee log that there was evidence of delayed open records requests to people opposing Blunt but preference in fulfilling requests to people friendly to Blunt.

Armstrong's journal does report on that a large open records requests was received, and that Steve Cates, avid supporter of Blunt and WSI and publisher of the Dakota Beacon, was "blanketing" the town with his own open records requests.

Long's letter also said "I have read an employee log detailing a plan to gather 50 signatures to oust (Burleigh County State's Attorney Richard) Riha."

Armstrong's journal details conversations with Cates about possibly gathering 50 signatures in an attempt to oust Riha, then putting information in front of the Burleigh County Commission; Armstrong is one of five Burleigh County commissioners.

"We have a lot of work to do to salvage Sandy and not a whole lot of time," Armstrong wrote in the journal.

Armstrong said during the news conference they did not have these conversations on agency time, and that the petition would have only initiated an investigation. They also decided later to not follow through with the petition, he added.

"It was a way to get somebody's attention," Armstrong said, noting that he would not like to see Riha out of office.

In the journal, he also details "secret documents" being delivered; according to Armstrong, Blunt crafted an outline of his recollection of spending, to give to the media and Armstrong asked a person who was not associated with WSI to deliver the outline anonymously to the media.

WSI personnel, Armstrong said, were not to have anything to do with the media, which is why an outside party delivered the documents, he said.

He said the "secret documents" entry was intended to be light-hearted.

Blunt's first two felony charges related to nearly $18,000 worth of questionable spending at WSI; those charges were later dropped by South Central District Court Judge Robert Wefald.

In his journal, Armstrong recorded concern by the board of directors about who paid for cards sent to Blunt and Leingang after the two were put on leave: "The executives then chipped in and paid for them. This is how low (and) bad it has gotten."

Armstrong said he kept the journal so that he could keep track of everything: "I wanted to make sure I knew exactly what was taking place,"Â in case he was ever questioned about it, he said.

Overall, he documented daily emotions and decisions made in relation to the legal proceedings, including contention over whether or not Blunt should stay in his position through the proceedings.

"Sandy thinks he can still run day-to-day (sic) while this plays out in the court if the Board backs him," Armstrong wrote. "But also believes that Board will bow to political pressure and put him on leave."

Long is referenced as not agreeing that Blunt should continue; Armstrong later says Long may have been upset that he didn't get appointed as interim executive director.

"It also is apparent that Jim Long is mad or at least feeling down that he was not selected as acting CEO," Armstrong wrote.

Long could not be reached for comment. The Tribune called him at his home three times and left two voicemail messages for him.

Click here to view the contents of the journal.

(Reach reporter Crystal R. Reid at 250-8261 or at crystal.reid@bismarcktribune.com)

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