The Hughes County jury empaneled to hear the perjury trial of Annette Bosworth will begin hearing the case today. They will hear Deputy Attorney General Robert Mayer lay out a case that can be summarized in under 300 words. They will hear Mayer say “Objection: irrelevant, immaterial” and Judge John Brown say “Sustained” at least 100 times as Bosworth attorney Robert Van Norman tries to introduce character witnesses and other smokescreens to cover the basic facts and law of the case. With brief deliberation, that jury will deliver a “Guilty” verdict by noon Friday.
In anticipation of that legal doom, Bosworth’s hangers-on throw one more gutbucket to distract us from the sinking Bosworth-Haber scamship. Gordon Howie posts complaints filed by out-state interloper Peter Waldron against Senator Mike Rounds and Attorney General Marty Jackley. The complaints, like anything purporting to defend Annette Bosworth, are absurd political theater, not reliable documents of fact and law.
As discussed earlier this week, Waldron is only working to hype Annette Bosworth and somehow divert public outrage from the lies she told and instead slime the law enforcement officials who are properly prosecuting her crimes. Waldron’s Federal Election Commission complaint was dated April 23; his Department of Justice complaint was dated April 20. They refer to actions that were known to have taken place ten to twelve months ago. If these complaints were really news, if South Dakotans were being subjected to voter suppression and intimidation, the individuals claiming to have suffered so would have and should have publicized that information much sooner. Even Waldron, evidently desperate for a chance to build his own name on the quicksand of Bosworth’s narcissism, would not have waited a month to make public these documents if his true interest were to protect the people of South Dakota from government abuse. Instead, Waldron waits until 24 hours before the Bosworth trial begins, attempting to serve Bosworth’s PR interests rather than the public’s.
The complaints themselves contain no new information and no documentation from any party independent of Bosworth’s influence. The three named parties alleging voter intimidation in Waldron’s FEC complaint all have a financial interest in Bosworth’s medical practice:
- Peggy Craig, Bosworth’s sister, works at Bosworth’s Meaningful Medicine Clinic and has handled the money for Bosworth and husband Chad Haber’s non-profit Preventive Health Strategies.
- Angela Callahan has also been on Bosworth’s payroll.
- Rodney Fitts has been Bosworth’s business and residential landlord.
Fitting a long-standing pattern, the only people willing to stand up for Bosworth are people who have gotten money from Bosworth. (Don’t forget: Howie received money from the Haber Attorney General campaign in 2014.)
Waldron’s voting rights complaint to the Department of Justice incurs the same skepticism. Waldron points out that Bosworth “is a primary health care provider for many families and individuals within the Hutterite Colonies of South Dakota.” That statement raises the possibility that if any Hutterites speak up in Bosworth’s defense, they are doing so from the same sense of owing Bosworth for her services. Like the FEC complaint, the DOJ complaint could easily be rooted in self-interest and back-scratching rather than fact.
Beyond that, Waldron’s complaints deserve no attention. Both complaints are hearsay. Waldron witnessed none of the alleged violations of voter rights. His DOJ complaint can’t even name specific victims. And, as former Bosworth booster turned basher Pat Powers points out, they are mostly false. No one, Hutterite or English, is shown not to have voted because of the investigation of Annette Bosworth.
And no one online has presented any evidence or rational argument that would prevent a jury rather quickly that Annette Bosworth committed perjury while circulating petitions for her 2014 Senate campaign.
The FEC and DOJ will dismiss these bogus complaints. The jury will rule Bosworth guilty by noon Friday.
Update 10:07 CDT: I checked with the FEC on the status of the Waldron complaint. The FEC replied that it cannot even confirm receipt of a complaint until it has been properly processed. Even if the Waldron complaint is real, the FEC cannot comment on complaints or publish related documents until they have been fully investigated and adjudicated.
Cory, you are nothing if not confident. I’ll look forward to the verdict, but I don’t think for a second that will end this saga. In the minds of team Bosworth/Haber I imagine this will just be more fodder for them to claim they are being unfaily persecuted (as well as prosecuted) without ever taking true responsibility for their actions.
My prediction? More of the same regardless of verdict.
Even Ben Dunsmoor from KELO says she had no intention of breaking the law, just did what her attorney told her. GO KELO!!!!!! Nice to see them understanding the intent. Good thing it is liverstreamed so people can see what a waste of taxpayers money and how much power an attorney general can have over the underdog.
Ignorance is not a defense and that’s all she appears to be doing. You are still responsible even if you had bad legal advisement. Tara, your implications of persecution by the attorney general are completely unfounded. This lady continually screwed over citizens and her patients and there was a large public outcry to do something about it. I hope the board goes after her medical license as well.
If the attorney thought it such a grand idea, why didn’t he certify the petitions?
Tara, review the text. I don’t think Dunsmoor said that. Was he just tweeting what the attorney said?
And Daniel, we’re not talking about ignorance that only a trained lawyer could dispel. We’re talking about ignorance that can only arise if you cannot read and understand this sentence:
“I, under oath, state that I circulated the above petition, that each signer personally signed this petition in my presence, and that either the signer or I added the printed name, the residence address of the signer, the date of signing, and the county of voter registration.” [SDAR 05:02:08:03.00]
I love the image Waldron tries to convey of a caravan of DCI agents in SWAT gear raiding a Hutterite colony. Disregarding the fact that there’s only something like a dozen agents in the entire state, it was more likely a couple guys with badges parked in to the farmyard, asked if anybody remembered signing a piece of paper and then were invited to the usual colony best home cooked lunch they ever had.
Dang jack-booted thugs anyway.
Question, why wouldn’t Marty Jackley settle the case with a misdemeanor and a fine? Do you people really think she should get her license taken away? So should Sanford have to close over Medicare fraud? No they paid a fine.
Cory, you name has been brought up a few times in the trial.
“Question, why wouldn’t Marty Jackley settle the case with a misdemeanor and a fine?”
Tara – if you are suggesting that there was an offer by Bosworth’s attorney to settle, then it is your duty to provide the evidence. From what I hear she is still claiming to be 100% innocent and therefore is likely unwilling to consider a plea bargain of any type.
I fully agree this shouldn’t result in a felony and in the scope of things it is a minor crime. However, our government does have a duty to protect democracy and those who break the rules. Any violations of laws that surround voting should be taken seriously. At the end of the day, Bosworth has nobody to blame for her predicament other than herself, because it is her signature on those forms, and she is responsible for her own actions (regardless of who may have told her to jump off the bridge).
He won’t settle because Bosworth won’t take a plea deal. She is the one who wanted this to go to trial. Had her lawyer pursued it, I guarantee this would have never gone to trial. Scammers like her probably see this as another fundraising opportunity. WE all know she loves those even when they aren’t legitimate. Having been through the judicial system, they always go for the worst charges and multiple charges, hoping to get a plea deal to reduce them down and avoid a trial.
I don’t think she should get her license taken away based on this specific offense. I do feel she should have it removed considering the pattern she has shown over the past several years. We have new raffle laws because of her legalized stealing. We also are going to have more election laws because of her. Her employees have even called her out on her lies. Liars are the last thing we need in the medical community.
Having Bosworth out of the medical business isn’t going to do anything to the general public. Removing an entire care provider is a little different.
Tara, she isn’t going to sit a day in jail. She will get hit with fines and be on her merry way. Now, the fines will just be bigger and she will waste more of other people’s money trying to defend it.
A plea deal would have most likely reduced those felonies to a misdemeanor. Since she didn’t pursue that, they will go for the felonies with the option to reduce to misdemeanors to insure a guilty verdict.
Why won’t Steve Hickey meet in person with Annette Bosworth? She would love to meet with him.
Daniel, she would have settled in a NY minute for a misdemeanor and fine. Marty wouldn’t do it.
I have no sympathy with any of her politics or with what she did and Cory deserves more compliments for the work he and others did in determining the perjury, etc.
Even so, I do not think a prosecution for felonies long after the election and long after SD Republicans could have removed her from the election is appropriate however. We have politicians being paid off with the equivalent of $million bribes labeled free speech and contributions. The things these hypocrites do to damage election processes and make even living by the unrich more difficult make Bosworth’s election perjury insignificant.
This is another prosecution driven by political expediency and a willingness to waste taxpayer’s money for little purpose.
Tara is making sound as if Ben Dunsmoore is leading the charge for Bosworth’s vindication. Do broadcast journalist do that?
The last thing in today’s proceedings was playing the video of Greg Belfarge interview with Bosworth, if she paid attention to what is on that tape she would have marched into court and plead no contest. Bosworth repeatedly incriminates herself and thinks because it is 37 signatures the law shouldn’t matter.
As far as wasting taxpayer goes, there isn’t a price tag for seeking justice and guilty verdicts. Should our government determine cases they will prosecute by the price? If that is the case, we probably would have very few prosecutions.
Spending taxpayer on trials is one of many reasons we pay taxes. The public needs to be protected from unscrupulous politicians that willfully break the law.
“Taxpayer expense” is a bogus argument.
Tara- my issue was with the SOS for not ruling on the validity of the signatures. Nothing Bosworth could say was of interest to me or relevant to the issue of an official ruling. The lawsuit was Hickey v Gant, not Hickey v Boz.
And meeting with Bosworth is to be drawn into her spin machine and campaign propaganda. Her former friends and employees were coming to me telling me of the manipulation of Chad and Annette. I wanted a legal ruling and going to Annette would do nothing to get a ruling.
Thank you, Rep. Hickey, for your cogent grasp of what’s relevant and what’s not. Chad and Annette like to think they can smooth anything over with a personal meeting and their personal charm (a.k.a. manipulation, brainwashing, B.S.). Chad and Annette are now running up against the facts and the law in a way they can’t escape with B.S. The state now shines the light, and they cannot escape the disinfecting glare.
I hope all of you watched the first day of the trial. When the trial is over and the Judges rules Misdemeanor, I am going to have a big party celebration for Chad and Annette, and all of you guys are invited.
Ms. Volesky, why are they talking about Mr. H at this Bos trial? Are they blaming him, or saying he is a meanie for something he blogged about the young Dr?
Oh, wouldn’t it be interesting of Mr. H got called to the stand to speak!
They just mentioned that Cory filed the complaint, and than on the Greg Belfrege show, Annette mentioned him. Oh, you’re invited too Grudz.
That party—will they be serving Kool-Aid?
Of course Cory and I am going to call it Cory Kool-Aid.
Cory,
About your poll, I voted guilty but I am wondering if you should have included jury nullification as another choice.
From Van Norman’s opening statement I get the feeling this is where he is going by calling Bosworth’s blatant law breaking a “mistake” and it is all Arends fault.
By all reports Van Norman is know to be a pretty good attorney, I can’t imagine any circumstances how he will be able to use the Howie/Waldron propaganda.
About that tea party at Tara’s, no thank you.
South Dakota law does not require the medical board to remove or “pull” a license if convicted of a felony. They medical board certainly can, but they are not required too.
Will Joel Arends be testifying? just curious.
I think I missed something. Didn’t Tara claim that Bosworth would be found innocent? Now she’s in favor of a GUILTY plea as long as it’s a misdemeanor?
Hey Roger, no killjoys are invited.
Mrs. Volesky, I am invited to the Dr. Bos trials? Are you there and are there some seats for people like me or you could save me a spot? Who do I contact for the free room that Dr. Bos has lined up for her cheering section? I would really like to go.
MHS, did you catch DCI chief Bryan Gortmaker’s testimony? He said that he went to the Hutterite colonies with DCI assistant director Dan Satterlee in Satterlee’s brown Chevy Tahoe. Sometimes they took a third agent in that same vehicle. Gortmaker testified that the visits to the Hutterite colonies were “congenial, friendly.” The Hutterites at one colony gave Gortmaker a tour of their metal shop.
Jury nullification—that’s about all Team Bosworth has to hope for, isn’t it, Roger? Two petition signers—National Guardsman Benjamin Lamp and Bosworth clinic/ non-profit employee Angela Callahan—testified that Bosworth did not witness their signatures on sheets that Bosworth swore she circulated. In the highlight of the trial so far, Bosworth herself said in the KELO-Belfrage April 17, 2014 interview—played in its awful, defense-destroying entirety—that she was out of the country when the petitions were signed and that leadership means taking responsibility for your team’s mistakes. The state could rest now and win. The defense’s only option is to buffalo the jury into thinking that defying the law is a noble act.
In playing that entire Belfrage interview, Bosworth’s defense is either planning to capitalize on the sensationalism and emotion of the Belfrage interview (gods help us when Annette herself takes the stand for her aria) or succumbing to the wishes of their recalcitrant client to satisfy her ego.
Or maybe the defense is just dumb. Consider that the defense stipulated to playing the entire Belfrage interview. The defense allowed the prosecution to play a recording of Annette Bosworth incriminating herself. Wouldn’t you think that an attorney would have fought against introducing such self-incriminating evidence into the record?
To put the KELO/Belfrage-Bosworth interview played in court in full context, let’s take this walk down memory lane:
April 16, 2014: KELO-AM conservative morning talker Greg Belfrage interviews Rep. Steve Hickey (R-9/Sioux Falls) about Hickey’s withdrawal of his court challenge to Annette Bosworth’s nominating petition. Hickey says Bosworth had behaved illegally and unconscionably, and Belfrage largely agreed. During the Hickey interview, Bosworth stormed into the radio station unannounced and demanded to be allowed on air to respond to Hickey’s statements. Belfrage declined, giving Bosworth 24 hours to cool off.
April 17, 2014: Belfrage interviews Bosworth, who admits she was out of the country when certain voters signed sheets that she later swore she personally circulated. The next day, Belfrage summarized the interview thus:
April 18, 2014: Belfrage interviews me, graciously allowing me to respond to Bosworth’s attacks on my character and on the veracity of the charges we laid in our (yes, our: lots of you readers helped!) official challenge to her nominating petition, some of which are among the charges that have Bosworth in court this week.
Tara,
Sorry that I must turn down your invitation to the Bosworth victory party.
I have nothing to wear, I asked Sibson to borrow one his tinfoil hats but he’s pissed at me and won’t lend me one.
Don’t be sad, Roger. Let’s have our own video party!
Pat’s “blast from the past” takes us back to a boring old campaign video:
http://dakotawarcollege.com/and-a-blast-from-the-past-to-set-the-stage-for-today/
Bosworth’s April 16, 2014 “daily devotional” is far more entertaining:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqLZZVM1WUE
My May 2014 video response wasn’t bad:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceAl9G7uFNI
The defense is missing the boat. Keep playing Bosworth audio and video, keep putting her own words on the records, and the jury will let you plead insanity! ;-)
A few of us including the “establishment” will be celebrating the Bosworth conviction and construction of the new Fine Arts Center at Chef Louis in Mitchell Saturday evening with caviar flown in, prime rib, a nice Bordeaux and the men can enjoy a box of Cuban’s also flown in.
Roger one of our benefactors will be sending out his Lear Jet out to pick you up in Rapid. Will 2:00pm Saturday be ok? There are a few stops our flight crew will make before returning to Mitchell.
Thanks for the pick me up Cory, for a moment I thought I would have to have a Sibson (Cory banned me) pity party.
The shoe video was perfect for this evening, I forgot how hilarious it was.
Lynn, the lear jet is at your service. I forget, who do I make the check payable to for the Maj Mahl or whatever it’s called?
Roger
We simply call it the Fine Arts Center and it will be a real asset for Mitchell. I have never met Mr. Maj Mahl or Mr. Tosh Mahal. I’ll check our guest list.
Ya, Roger asset to the Oligarchy, loss to the teachers and students and taxpayers. I had a good time at the debate and everyone was very nice. One thing about the BTO’s of Mitchell, they could build a $100 million dollar FAC and 80% of the people wouldn’t know……lol. No question, she signed the petition. Dana explained it well. Should have been a very simple open, shut case. The only problem is the punishment. AG would not settle, just check out his history with Shirley Schwab and Brandon Talliferro. One thing you must say about Jackley, he has been very consistant with his tactics. Just talk to the people whose lives he destroyed.
Oh, by the way, watch KELO tonight about the great city of Mitchell and the Corn Palace. So Lynn, what did you think of the debate. Oh you probably didn’t listen to it. And by the way Cory, I got a lot of good pointers from your school board profile interview when you ran for Madison School Board. What percentage did you get?
I forget my percentage, Tara, but it was higher than Bosworth’s.
tune into the Bosworth trial at 1:00 at kelo.com. Thanks.
Mr. H, one of my granddaughter’s friends showed me how to watch TV coverage of the trial. They just mentioned your name a bunch of times! You are more famous than ever. With great fame comes great power, so be careful.
It isn’t just the fact that Bos flogs a dead horse over and over and over,but she keeps digging the corpse up and flogging it over and over and over. She will prolly get a psych evaluation that she should have been forced to have years ago before she gets the firing squad for animal cruelty.
Hey I would love to come to Tara’s tea because I like Tara and we can talk about our mutual friend from the past
You’re welcome oldguy. Hope you guys are watching Bosworth’s testimony. We’ll see if the truth works in her favor. I think Common Core math would be easier to figure out than all the rules about circulating petitions, verifying signatures and notarizing signatures. That is why there are dozens of cases that people interpret in different ways.