We had planned to post about South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem's latest silliness about the true history of the first Thanksgiving (er, nope) and sharing the stage with Santa Claus at the state capitol Christmas tree lighting (we're big fans of Saint Nicholas, though we recognize most of the stories about him--like decking Arius at the Council of Nicaea--aren't supported by the historic record).
Instead, we draw readers' attention to Joe Sneve's latest for the Argus Leader, Gov. Noem spends more than $68,000 in taxpayer money on rugs, sauna, chandeliers for state governor's mansion:
More than $60,000 has been spent redecorating the Governor's Residence since Kristi Noem moved in nearly three years ago, and thousands more for the installation of a sauna.
That's according to an Argus Leader review of expense receipts associated with renovations and redecorating of various facilities within the South Dakota Capitol Complex in Pierre going back to Jan. 5, 2019, the day Noem was inaugurated as South Dakota's 33rd governor.
And that has critics accusing the first-term Republican governor of lavishly spending taxpayer dollars on her personal interests, while officials in the governor's office say spending on and at the mansion is in line with prior administrations.
The bulk of the expenses reflected in 158 pages of receipts and invoices provided to a third party government oversight advocacy group by the governor's office and later obtained by the Argus Leader are related to modifications — both structural and aesthetic — within gubernatorial facilities in the second floor of the Capitol building, including the governor's office and various staff suites, as well as infrastructure upgrades like fencing and a new elevator at the Governor's Residence.
But the documents also show almost $60,500 has been spent redecorating Noem's state-owned and state-funded Pierre residence, including more than $13,000 for luxury rugs and tens of thousands worth of furniture, lamps and chandeliers. The cost of installing a sauna, a small room used as a hot-air or steam bath, was not included in the expense documents released by Noem's office. . . .
There's more in the Argus Leader for subscribers.
Noem's residential creature comforts join the 2019 installation of a television studio in the basement of the state capitol inventoried in Keloland's story from Angela Kennecke in 2020, Gov. Noem uses $130k studio to boost national conservative profile and reach South Dakotans.
As South Dakota Standard's Tom Lawrence noted in South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s $130,000 TV Studio Deal: She Installs a Video System in State Capitol, that package also included a make-up kit.
As far as we can tell, questions still remain about her use of the state airplane to be the “ambassador for the state” at " events hosted by political organizations like the National Rifle Association, Turning Point USA and the Republican Jewish Coalition," as Sneve reported in Judges ask for more information on allegations of nepotism, misuse of state-owned airplanes by Gov. Noem back on November 1.
Every day's Christmas for Governor Noem.
Image: A video still from Noem's cavorting with Santa at the recent state capitol tree lighting.
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