Once upon a time, not so long ago, South Dakota was known as the Sunshine State. No longer, as the governor and attorney general work to make sure citizens enjoy as little sunshine as possible when it comes to the activity of state leaders.
Mainly, themselves.
Late last month--within the last week--we'd posted South Dakota legislators call for special session to ponder impeaching state attorney general and Proof we're not in MN anymore, Toto: Ravnsborg reviewing Noem’s meeting with daughter and Justice for Joe Boever: widow, Ravnsborg reach confidential settlement in wrongful death lawsuit.
But it's only Friday, so there's more.
Yesterday, at the Daily Beast, Zoe Richards reported in Kristi Noem Ditches Lewandowski After Two Bombshell Reports:
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has cut ties with Corey Lewandowski, a day after angrily dismissing claims that she was having an affair with the former Trump adviser, who had also been advising Noem.
A spokesman for the governor, Ian Fury, told Politico: “Corey was always a volunteer, never paid a dime (campaign or official). He will not be advising the Governor in regard to the campaign or official office.”
The statement, claiming Lewandowski had “always” been a “volunteer,” appeared to downplay the role he served in advising Noem.
On Tuesday, a conservative news outlet called American Greatness published a bombshell report alleging that “multiple” unidentified sources had confirmed Noem has been having a monthslong affair with Lewandowski, who was former President Donald Trump’s first campaign manager.
Noem blasted what she called “rumors,” while affirming her commitment to her husband.
“These rumors are total garbage and a disgusting lie,” Noem wrote on Twitter. “These old, tired attacks on conservative women are based on a falsehood that we can’t achieve anything without a man’s help. I love Bryon. I’m proud of the God-fearing family we’ve raised together. Now I’m getting back to work.”
Her tweet came on the same day Lewandowski was accused by a Trump donor of making unwanted sexual advances and stalking her at a Las Vegas charity over the weekend.
In a statement to Politico, Trashelle Odom alleged that Lewandowski had repeatedly touched her inappropriately on her legs and butt, while making lewd sexual comments that left her feeling “violated and fearful.”
The twin bombshells came just days after the Associated Press reported that Noem tried to pressure the state into giving her daughter a real estate license, which is now the subject of a probe by the state Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg. . . .
Indeed, our romantic partner has heard speculation that the forces of Noem planted the affair rumor in order to distract citizens from the $200,000 pay-out to squelch the age discrimination claim by Sherry Bren.
Here at Bluestem Prairie World Headquarters in sunny Summit, fog capital of South Dakota, we have no more evidence of one or the other tale. Instead the speculation suggests that confidence in our fearless leaders is at a low ebb.
But there's more. Our subscription to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader pays for itself with two of today's news articles. The paper posted an Associated Press item, South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg passes Kristi Noem plane inquiry to accountability board:
The South Dakota attorney general says a request from a state lawmaker to investigate Gov. Kristi Noem's use of the state airplane should be handled by a board that's responsible for reviewing allegations of misconduct from state officials.
Democratic Sen. Reynold Nesiba in February asked the attorney general to investigate whether Noem had violated South Dakota law by flying on the state airplane to events hosted by political organizations. Noem flew in state planes to 2019 events hosted by political organizations like the National Rifle Association, Turning Point USA, and the Republican Jewish Coalition.
Noem had defended her travel to those events as part of her role as an “ambassador for the state” and said she has always used the plane according to state law. A voter-passed state law, spearheaded by Nesiba in 2006 before he was a legislator, stipulates that state-owned aircraft can only be used for state business.
In a letter dated Tuesday, Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg said he referred the request to the Government Accountability Board. If the four retired judges who sit on the board determine state laws were violated, they can request a criminal investigation.
Ravnsborg said in the letter that laws on state airplane use apply to the governor.
And there's Noem taking a mulligan in her botched attempt to use revision of the state's social studies standards for her anti-critical race theory warrior moment. Morgan Matzen reports in Gov. Kristi Noem announces relaunch of new social studies standards review process:
South Dakota's social studies standards review process will be relaunched, Gov. Kristi Noem announced Friday afternoon in a press release.
The standards proposed by the Department of Education will be "set aside," Noem said, and she has asked DOE officials to restart the process from the beginning.
Everyone who has expressed concerns about the standards will be a part of the process, including Native Americans, Noem said.
"I want to ensure we propose standards that accurately reflect the values of South Dakota,” Noem said in a statement. “Our kids deserve to learn both America’s and South Dakota’s true and honest history, taught in a balanced context that doesn’t pit our children against each other on the basis of race, sex, or background. More work needs to be done to get this right, and we are committed to seeing that process through.”
A new workgroup of stakeholders will be established to develop the new, revamped standards for a second time. New proposed standards will be reviewed and adjusted based on input from the public, the DOE, and, ultimately, approved by the Board of Education Standards, according to a release from the governor's office.
The DOE will also hire a new facilitator to oversee the workgroup process. The DOE will work with the Board of Education Standards to approve a new timeline to ensure the standards are adopted after sufficient time for the workgroup’s action and public input into the process, the release said.
We'd looked at this issue in Oceti Sakowin March for our Children: over 200 march, drum, and ride horses in pouring rain and South Dakota's cancel culture triumphs in state DOE social studies standards revision.
We are closer to making the modest proposal that within South Dakota, for the purposes of education, Kristi Noem should simply restore the boundaries of the Great Sioux Reservation established by the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, and allow the Oceti Sakowin to craft social studies standards for the kiddoes on this land. In western South Dakota, the children could study history while learning strong values. Those who want to quarrel about history can have the eastern part of the state--save for those of us living within the historic boundaries of reservations here in the east, who would be part of the common sense approach.
Photo: Governor Noem gives welcoming address at the 2021 Governor's Ag Summit. Erin Bormett/Argus Leader.
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