South Dakota’s Republican Gov. Christy Noem may have been “engaged in wrongdoing” when she stepped in to help her daughter get her real estate appraiser’s license, the state’s Ethics Commission said Monday. Announced. Opposed by staunch conservatives.
The Government Accountability Board also referred another complaint about Nome’s use of state planes to South Dakota’s interim attorney general for investigation.
The commission’s action stems from two complaints filed last year by former state attorney general Jason Ravensborg, who was impeached and removed from office after fatally injuring a pedestrian while driving in 2020. I’m here.
“Knowing what I know as a plaintiff, Governor Noem should be fully investigated for abuse of power in obtaining his daughter’s appraiser’s license and that Governor Noem They should be charged with criminally using state resources for profit,” Ravnsborg said. in a statement.
The Associated Press reported last year that Noem called a meeting with her daughter, the state labor secretary, and the then-director of the state’s appraiser certification program in 2020 after the agency denied her daughter’s license application. At that meeting, plans were discussed to give the governor’s daughter, Cassidy Peters, another chance to demonstrate that she can meet federal standards at work.
Noem’s office said plans were already underway before the meeting, but the agency’s director, Sherry Bullen, told the legislative committee last year that Peters’ failed application was discussed at the governor’s mansion. He said he felt “intimidated” during the meeting. detail. A Republican-controlled panel that investigated the episode concluded that Peters received special treatment.
Peters was finally certified four months later in November 2020.
After meeting for an hour at a closed-door meeting on Monday, four members of the board unanimously voted to proceed to a hearing of the objection. This would allow Noem to publicly defend himself in the valuation controversy, but would also allow Noem to use state funds for the episode.
Board chair Lori Wilbur said the complaint was “partially dismissed and partly resolved,” but added that the complaint could be reopened.
Another of Ravnsborg’s complaints is that in 2019 Noem used a state-owned plane to travel to events hosted by political organizations such as the National Rifle Association and the Republican Jewish Coalition, online news website Raw Story discovered. later submitted. Used for non-state projects.
Noem said he was attending the event as an ambassador for South Dakota.
The commission referred the complaint to the state attorney general’s office and is headed by Mark Vargo, who was appointed Noem on an interim basis.
Noem is being discussed as one of the potential Republican candidates for 2024 and is expected to easily be re-elected as governor in November.
The governor’s office did not immediately respond to the Post’s request for comment.
with post wire