St. Paul City Council Member Anika Bowie fires aide – but he’s rehired by Council Member Cheniqua Johnson

A member of the St. Paul City Council has raised objections to human resources and the city attorney’s office after she fired her top assistant, only to see him quickly rehired by another council member.

When four new council members won their elections in November 2023, most of them set about interviewing legislative aides who would help coordinate meetings with constituents, research policy matters and even in some cases ghost-write speeches and craft proposed city ordinances.

Some officials in City Hall were taken aback when the new council was seated in January and incoming Ward 1 Council Member Anika Bowie had yet to hire a permanent legislative aide. February and March passed, and still no hire. Dan Dodge, who had been legislative aide to former Ward 1 Council Member Russel Balenger, continued in a transitional role for several weeks past the swearing in of the new council but stepped down on Feb. 9.

Ward 7 Council Member Cheniqua Johnson, also new to her seat, suggested to Bowie last April that she interview her friend Jon Berry, a marketing professional who also happens to serve as the in-arena host for both the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx.

Bowie met with Berry and made him an offer on April 25, officially hiring him on May 20 as her proverbial right-hand man, at a starting salary of more than $45 per hour, or about $93,000 annually. The fit, by Bowie’s account, was a disaster. She would later accuse Berry of unauthorized spending during a September work trip, misappropriating travel funds and sharing sensitive information on a policy proposal with Johnson’s office last August without permission.

“Jon was involved in unauthorized spending of the Ward 1 budget, specifically regarding a work trip scheduled for Sept. 10-13, 2024. A charge related to this trip was issued on August 22nd, 2024, but he did not request approval for it,” according to an email from Bowie to the city attorney’s office, the city’s human resources director and other officials in City Hall. “During the trip, I attended all the scheduled events and did not see him present at any of the conference panels, tours, or events by member of congress he was expected to attend … His absence raised serious concerns about the handling of city funds.”

Termination

On Oct. 2, Bowie terminated Berry’s employment, in an action facilitated at her request by then-City Council Operations Director Brynn Hausz.

“His termination followed my decision to forgo an investigation into the misappropriation of funds from my office,” said Bowie, writing she had placed him on a performance improvement plan on Aug. 12 without success.

Bowie also accused her legislative aide of “demonstrating a lack of organization and preparation for community meetings” in her letter. Attempts to reach Berry for comment on Friday and again on Monday were unsuccessful.

To her surprise, Berry would not be gone for long. He soon returned to City Hall in a lesser administrative role — as an executive assistant — rehired by Johnson, at a rate of pay of $17 per hour, or about $35,000 per year. On Oct. 21, his first day at the new job, Bowie emailed the two-page letter to Johnson, Berry, the city attorney, the city’s human resources director, a labor relations manager and at least six other city officials.

“I find myself in a position that I do not take lightly, having to disclose serious concerns about a colleague’s decision to rehire Jon Berry, who was terminated from my office less than a month ago,” Bowie wrote.

A ‘pending investigation’

Also among her concerns, she wrote in the letter, was the possibility that Berry and Johnson had previously been romantically involved.

“Rumors of Intimate Relationships: There were unverified rumors regarding a prior intimate relationship with Council Member Johnson, communicated to me by mutual acquaintances in her presence,” Bowie wrote. “These allegations, while not confirmed, raised significant concerns about his ability to maintain professional objectivity and integrity.”

She added: “I want to be clear. I am not suggesting any office on this email take formal action, such as initiating an investigation or terminating Jon Berry again.”

His rehiring “without prior consultation with my office,” however, “poses risks to confidentiality and the overall work environment,” she added.

Her email was addressed to City Attorney Lyndsey Olson, Human Resources Director Toni Newborn, Labor Relations Manager Jason Schmidt and City Budget Officer Jay Willms, among 11 city employees.

After checking with Human Resources, Jennifer Lor, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office, confirmed this month that Berry remains an active employee of City Hall and that his HR file contained no history of any disciplinary actions. Asked if there was an active investigation or disciplinary proceeding underway, Lor said “there is a pending investigation.”

Further details not public

Further details of the matter are not public. By state statute, the final disposition of any disciplinary action against a public employee — and the specific reasons for the action — would become public information if a determination to impose discipline is made.

Reached by phone this month, Johnson declined comment, saying she would wait for more information to come to light.

Attempts to reach Bowie for comment by phone on Thursday and Friday were unsuccessful, but she wrote in an email Friday afternoon that she had “nothing but respect” for Johnson and was committed to fostering a “collaborative working relationship” with all her colleagues.

Bowie said she would not discuss personnel matters with the media. The council member said she was in the process of interviewing candidates to fill the position of legislative aide.

Before joining City Hall, Berry had spent more than two years as the marketing director for the Metropolitan Economic Development Association, or MEDA, which serves to promote entrepreneurs of color. Berry, who holds a business degree from DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School of Management, previously worked in marketing for Lift Brands, Effectv Advertising, Coborn’s, Target and Disney Radio.