Her's

St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry has sued Mayor Kaohly Her, alleging sexual harassment, reprisal and violations of the Minnesota Whistleblower Act. The 73-page complaint describes tensions dating to Her's election, including a remark that Henry needed to "be extra nice" to her since the fire union, unlike the police union, endorsed her campaign. It also alleges disputes over backpay processing for police leadership, claims by Her and an assistant mayor that they could override Henry's personnel decisions, and allegations that Her improperly received confidential law enforcement information through her police-assigned driver. The lawsuit further claims the mayor's administration ran a paid media campaign to discredit Henry's motives.

An independent investigation released Sept. 18 found Her did not engage in sexual harassment or retaliation but did engage in "offensive and inappropriate behavior." Her apologized for crossing lines but said she was pleased the harassment claims were unsubstantiated. The city has declined to comment on active litigation. The St. Paul City Council plans a closed-door session to discuss the case and is expected to retain outside legal counsel.

St. Paul, Minn., Police Chief Axel Henry has filed a 73-page lawsuit in Ramsey County District Court against Mayor Kaohly Her and the city, alleging sexual harassment, retaliation and unprofessional conduct. The complaint claims Her repeatedly touched Henry's thigh, made sexual innuendos including calling herself a "MILF," surprised him at a golf simulator during his vacation, and told him at a bar meeting that he needed to be her "friend" or "colleague" or "go" — which he understood as a demand to resign. It also alleges she hung sexualized altered images of Henry and other officers in his office, made orgasm-like sounds at the department gym, and referenced a separate incident where she suggested she'd falsely claim a city official groped her. Henry further claims Her hired a PR firm to discredit him and retaliated in violation of the Minnesota Whistleblower Act. He seeks a jury trial and damages exceeding $50,000 across six counts.

An independent investigation found no legal violations but concluded Her engaged in offensive and inappropriate behavior, including creating and sharing offensive material, prompting two apologies and a coaching recommendation. Only a two-page summary, prepared by an office Her oversees, has been released; the full report remains undisclosed, and Henry says he was never given a complete copy. City council members Molly Coleman and Saura Jost have publicly called for the full report's release, with Coleman calling the allegations "deeply troubling" and Jost citing eroded public confidence. The mayor's office says it will follow the report's recommendations but won't comment further on active litigation. Her, elected last year as St. Paul's first female mayor, previously shifted her security detail to the county sheriff's office, citing threats.

Overtime costs for St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her's police security detail reached nearly $98,000 through July, already exceeding predecessor Melvin Carter's full-year 2025 total of about $92,761, according to police department data released to the Pioneer Press. Her's office attributes the spike to Operation Metro Surge, a demanding transition into office, and heightened security concerns following the assassination of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, plus two documented death threats against Her. The increase comes as St. Paul faces a projected $26 million budget gap, prompting Her to propose forgoing part of her salary, raising ambulance fees, cutting library and recreation services, and shrinking the police department's authorized officer count.

Tension has emerged between Her and Police Chief Axel Henry, who filed a formal complaint against her in April now under independent investigation, including allegations of inappropriate conduct toward city employees. The two have also clashed over security staffing, particularly Henry's insistence on two-officer details for out-of-state travel, which Her's office called an unwise use of funds; Her has since declined security on subsequent trips outside Minnesota.