Ah, timing.
Attorney General Marty Jackley is heading back to Platte next week to “discuss investigative findings associated with the GEAR UP Program and other related entities.” The Attorney General will present these findings at press conference at the Community Center next to Platte City Hall on Wednesday, March 16, at 10 a.m. CDT.
A.G. Jackley held a similar press conference in Platte four months ago to discuss the results of his investigation of the Westerhuis crime scene. That media event, a strange mix of info session and prayer service with the Attorney General trying on his ill-fitting community-healer suit, raised at least as many questions as it answered and left unanswered most of the questions of greatest public concern:
- Did Mid-Central Educational Cooperative business manager Scott Westerhuis steal money from the multi-million-dollar GEAR UP grant?
- Was anyone else involved in fraud or embezzlement?
- How much did Mid-Central and the South Dakota Department of Education know and when did they know it?
At his November event, A.G. Jackley put off such questions, saying the financial investigation of GEAR UP and Mid-Central was ongoing. Now that financial investigation must be done, or done enough for A.G. Jackley to tell us where our money went and maybe even who Scott Westerhuis talked to on the phone in those dark hours between his learning on September 16 that the state had cancelled Mid-Central’s GEAR UP contract and his apparent decision to kill his wife and four children, burn down his house, and commit suicide.
And that financial investigation gets done, and the Attorney General announces his intent to tell us about that investigation, the same day that legislators close up shop and head home. Now that we’ve wrapped up our state budget and said our final yeas and nays, the Attorney General is ready to present evidence about what has looked since September like a multi-million-dollar scam that might have informed harder budget questions for our Education Secretary and tougher amendments on anti-corruption legislation.
1. Yes
2. No
3. Probably a lot
“Blame the dead guy! Take two!”
I don’t have much faith in our SD system of GOP partisans covering up for other GOP partisans. I don’t expect Marty to talk about how GOP party insiders siphoned off millions as consultants while the kids got little benefit from this debacle of a program. I don’t expect any answers from him about how the SD Department of Education that was supposed to be overseeing this federal money didn’t do anything the way they said they would in their application for a waiver from federal rules. I don’t expect that any accountability will be laid upon anyone who is alive. This press conference is just a whitewash timed for the political season.
Stace Nelson will clean up this corruption, right grudz? A guy who’s like 6’6″ with such stubby little fingers has something to prove.
Mr. Rorschach, if the person living in Mr. Nelson’s county want to send him back to the legislatures to booger things up a little bit that is their right. But I don’t think Mr. Nelson could clean up the hallway with a mop. A fellow that big would just eat a lot more of the free food and swill up all the free liquor intended for more effective legislatures.
Scott and his wife were/was a Business Manager. I want to know what the DOE’s responsibility in quality control was?? What was MidCentral’s role in systemic controls and reviews??
I don’t know what the outdoor weather will be like in Platte on March 16th, but inside the Platte Community Center there will be heavy fog, blowing smoke, and a total whiteout.
afterward we can have a special session to remediate the Gear Up administration ills jackley discovered hidden in the seams of SDGOP/Regents/SDDOE; and to implement Medicaid Expansion.
The AG will likely conclude, just as he did four months ago, that he is certain that they are all dead.
Jackley, please tell me you are going to present a motive for [Scott] Westerhuis to commit this act. No, the fact that he was losing the Gear Up grant and taking a pay cut is not sufficient for anyone still capable of critical thinking. [edited by CAH]
Jeff, perhaps the media’s coverage of the AGs upcoming press conference will look something like this…….. ;-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=butZyxI-PRs
Vote for IM 22 “the anti-corruption measure”.
Vote wingnuts out and leave the seats empty until you get ebnough Dems to fill them.
This is nothing more then a campaign stop for team Jacklow.
Hide the improprieties
Control the conversation
Keep the base happy
And never ever admit to any wrongdoings
Dont expect Marty to change, he cant now hes to far down that muddy road and there is no place to turn around if you want to be governor.
Can he be beat? Yup but neither person will run. Will he be the next governor of South Dakota? Yes. The SDDP is either so weak, or so far to the left, the redest of the red states will never vote for them.
The Blindman
IMO Jackley won’t get past the primary. Noem or Mickelson will be the Repub. nominee.
You’re right, Darin. Jackley’s a joke as a politician and an office holder. His one shot for Gov came and went to roll together all the rats in the Daugaard Administration wrapped up in the EB-5 fleece-a-thon and the federal money hog trough operated through Mid-Central. He blamed it all on the dead guys.
Now his next best career move is to be put out to pasture on the bench and forgotten, just like is two predecessors. Selling one’s silence fetches such a such a pitiful price, eh Marty?
Oh, wait a minute. Marty’s holding his tell-all press conference long after the legislature is gone. Maybe he can do his sworn duty to unpack the saga of criminality all around him and … naw. Festus Haggen will conduct another bizarro prayer service and the righteous Jackley will announce nothing we haven’t already heard.
Move along. Nothing to see here.
Jeff is correct as far as he goes. I suspect that the AG will determine that all six will remain dead!
What did Festus and his mule ever do to you.96 tears? I never knowed him to be that religious.
The first question I’d have is whether the AG’s investigation is different from that of the SD Auditor General, Marty Guindon.
Second question: does the AG have any information on the ongoing federal investigation of MCEC, SD GEAR UP, etc? [The answer will almost certainly be “no,” but it’s important to note there are multiple investigations.]
Other questions will, of course, present themselves dependent on the investigation report and the AG’s comments in Platte.
Of course, I’m focusing on the financial and governance issues here, not the apparent murder-suicide and arson at the Westerhuis home.
It has to be the audit, and further related criminal or financial improprieties unearthed. Good call on where are the feds on any related investigation. That may be the only reason he cares, regardless of platte, tribes and sddoe’s needs.
We still await any real EB5 audit or fed. outcome or joops destruction of evidence liklihood.
Very Similar Scenarios
There is more than one audit being done, so it’s easy to be confused. The SD Auditor General is investigating MCEC. He is also preparing an update to the 2015 single audit that will include only 2015 activity regarding SD GEAR UP only. Watch carefully to know exactly what is and is not covered in each investigation and audit.
Re: timing
I have to wonder if the AG is incredibly ignorant or astoundingly malicous. Do we need to bring the circus to town the day an entire class gathers to remember and celebrate the birthday of their very much missed classmate? This couldn’t have waited till Friday? Next week? Last week?
Throw a little fresh salt in the reopened wounds of kids. Think what could’ve been saved if anyone was being this thorough a year ago.