The Grand Forks Herald and Forum Communications Company is using its publication and media influence to protect corrupt law enforcement officers with the East Grand Forks Police Department (EGFPD) and Minnesota Pine to Prairie Gang and Drug Task Force.  

The actions of the Herald may already be contributing to serious public safety concerns that have arisen as result of the scheme.

Officers included in the protection scheme are Lt. Detective Rodney Hajicek and Aeisso Schrage, EGFPD.

Timeline and fact-pattern analysis shows that while the Herald and Forum Communications was/is regularly reporting on dangerous drugs in the region, the Herald was/is, simultaneously, running interference to protect members of law enforcement working on a drug task force.

Officers being protected include Hajicek and Schrage.

The Herald’s editors and publisher actions create a serious conflict of interest for the Company, because Forum Communications is actively reporting on international drug trafficking, overdoses, unsolved deaths, gang activity, and an officer involved shooting.

Because the Herald has been hiding critical information for so long, it is possible some of the deaths and tragedies may have been averted if the protection scheme had not been in place.

HAJICEK IS GROUND ZERO TO LARGER PROBLEM

The Herald has long possessed detailed information and evidence that incriminated Hajicek and impeached his credibility.

Hajicek is the ranking officer at the EGFPD and is likely only the tip of the ice-berg poking out of a sea of corruption, which Forum Communications may be aware of.

When controversial activities of the Pine to Prairie Gang and Drug Task Force, as well as the Southwest Multi-County Agency Drug Task Force in North Dakota arose in the media regarding the Jenna Stai and Andrew Sadek cases, the Herald went straight to Hajicek with a camera for quotes to quell rumors that implicated him and Schrage.  

Despite the Herald’s dark knowledge, it presented Hajicek to the public as a source of truthful information.

Hajicek's reputation as a corrupt police officer and dangerous man is beyond common knowledge.

What the Herald’s editors actually know is disturbing.

The Herald possessed information and audio evidence it received from a former police officer that captured Hajicek discussing corruption he had witnessed, and vowed to lie about it if questioned by investigators.  

The whistleblower also possessed information about drug trafficking and murder.

The Herald kept it quiet to protect Hajicek.

In July, 2014, the Herald was notified of a federal deprivation of rights lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court by a local journalist (Timothy Charles Holmseth- this writer) against select public officials, police officers, and attorneys that conspired to violate his constitutional rights.

Hajicek and Schrage are named s defendants.

The lawsuit buttressed what the Herald and Forum Communications already knew.

Holmseth v. City of East Grand Forks et al details how local officials and police conspired to access the investigative journalistic work product on Holmseth's computer, using Schrage and the Minnesota Pine to Prairie Gang and Drug Task Force.

This is a developing story.

Return to Home Page