Questions have come up over why Democratic-Non Partisan League Chairwoman Kylie Oversen contributed $100 to the legal defense fund of the man who allegedly took an ax to Sen. John Hoeven’s office in Fargo.
Earlier this week Thomas Starks, of Lisbon, was charged in federal court for the incident that happened in December. Oversen spoke with KX News earlier Thursday, confirming her donation, and saying it wasn’t political but out of an instinct to help someone with children.
She went on to say that people are innocent until proven guilty and she does not condone any sort of violence.
“Our indigent defense system in North Dakota and the country is underfunded, and I knew the kind of work that Mr. Starks does and I knew that he had a wife and young kids, and this was right after the holidays and that they wouldn’t be able to afford a private attorney on their own, so I felt this was one small way I could help his family in what they were going through,” Oversen said.
Oversen’s donation has taken heat from those at the North Dakota GOP, who said her donation was “inexcusable” and showed support for a “violent extremist.”
