Grand Forks legislative candidate says she ‘experimented’ after rival claims drug use in photo

MINOT – Sadie Hanson, a Republican who lost her party’s nomination for the North Dakota Legislature during the June primary, says a photo she took on Oct. 6, 2023 shows Democratic Grand Forks House candidate Sarah Grossbauer using cocaine with two other unidentified people.

Grossbauer has acknowledged that the photo is authentic and admits that she has been ‘experimenting’, although she currently denies using drugs. Grossbauer did not answer direct questions about whether she was using drugs in Hanson’s photo.

A third party sent me the photo and told me that Hanson, a former member of the State Board of Higher Education, had taken it.

When I contacted her about the photo, Hanson said they were at a downtown Grand Forks bar when the photo was taken. “I don’t remember exactly what we were doing, if we were eating or what the occasion was. We went to the bathroom and they decided they wanted to do cocaine,” she said, referring to Grossbauer and two other unknown women.

“Personally, I don’t participate in that,” Hanson said. “I honestly don’t even know why I have a picture of it, but I do,” she continued. ‘There are three people who did it. There were four of us in the bathroom. I didn’t do it, but I saw Sarah doing it at the time.’

Until she lost in the primary, Hanson was the running mate of incumbent Rep. Emily O’Brien, who is challenging Grossbauer.

“We were friends forever, because like in high school, we were good friends,” Hanson said of her relationship with Grossbauer. “To this day, I would say I have nothing against them that I would want to put them in this position again. If you decide you want to run, everything will work out.”

“I think voters would like to see who they’re voting for,” she added.

When I contacted Grossbauer about the image, she initially suggested it could be her twin sister in the photo. When I indicated that the source of the photo was Hanson, who identified her, Grossbauer asked if she could provide me with a written statement in response to my questions.

I sent Grossbauer an email asking if she was using cocaine at the time the photo was taken, if she has ever used an illegal drug, and if she has sought treatment for substance abuse. Grossbauer’s initial statement did not answer these questions. The statement did confirm the authenticity of the photo.

“I am disappointed and saddened that Sadie Hanson is trying to exploit our once close friendship by leaking a photo she apparently took last year in the hope of shaming me in the closing days of this election,” Grossbauer said in the declaration. “Many of us in the age of social media and cell phone cameras have embarrassing photos, myself included. That these photos of our private lives before we ran for office are now being used in the service of political revenge is an unfortunate reality of modern campaigns.”

“I take responsibility for being with Ms. Hanson – who at the time served on the State Board of Higher Education and later became Emily O’Brien’s running mate in the Republican primary – and others on the evening depicted,” it reads further. “Voters don’t expect their candidates to be perfect. I’m a real human being. I’ve made mistakes. When I do, I learn from them and grow. I take responsibility for my actions. They won’t affect my ability to act .” serve the voters of District 42 or support my running mates.”

The statement goes on to accuse Republicans of “mud-slinging” and ignoring

other ethical and legal issues in their own ranks.

In a follow-up text exchange, in which I asked Grossbauer for answers to my questions, she stated that she had “experimented” but not sought treatment.

“While I deeply empathize with those battling the disease of addiction, I am fortunate to have never personally experienced that particular struggle,” she said. “Although, like many young adults, I experimented early in life, I do not use illegal substances.”

Grossbauer did not respond to repeated follow-up questions seeking clarification on Hanson’s claim that Grossbauer was using cocaine at the time the photo was taken.

Grossbauer and Carol Hagen are the Democratic nominees seeking House seats in District 42. They face O’Brien and Doug Osowski, both Republicans.