Workforce, Safety and Insurance asked the state attorney general's office to appoint an employment attorney from Fargo who had briefly worked on a WSI issue a few years back.

An e-mail from WSIBoard Chairman Bob Indvik to the state attorney general requested Beverly Adams with Serkland Law Firm in Fargo to be appointed to the agency to advise on personnel and employment law matters.

"She's highly recommended in the area,"Indvik said. "I think she would've been a very good representative to use on advice for employment law."

The WSIboard of directors had voted on Nov. 13 to request a special assistant attorney general to help with employment and personnel issues, after five employees of the agency filed for whistleblower protection in late October and early November.

On Friday, Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem denied the request for a special attorney, noting WSI already had four special assistant attorneys general on staff.

Indvik said the board had wanted someone separate from the agency to address the issues.

"It's cleaner,"he said. "It just doesn't have the appearance of impropriety."

He went on to say he was disappointed with the decision to deny the board's request, but would continue to seek assistance from the office of the attorney general.

"In addition,"Stenehjem wrote in his letter denying the request, "assistant attorneys general from my office, several having expertise in the areas you mentioned, will continue to be available to advise the WSI attorneys on various issues, including personnel, employment and other matters."

Adams said she would have taken the appointment, adding that she felt the issues were fairly simple. She said she became involved with an issue with WSI a couple of years ago, but, due to attorney-client privilege, could not comment on the work.

She has never worked with the board of directors, however.

Five employees at WSI filed for whistleblower protection after Executive Director Sandy Blunt returned from a six-month leave of absence after three felony charges against him were dropped or dismissed.

Jim Long, chief of support services and one of the employees who filed for whistleblower protection with the attorney general's office, was recently put on leave.

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