Bob Mercer is feeling better. His first back-on-the-attack Capitol Journal will make legislators feel worse:
The Wollmann episode stirred the dust about past incidents involving legislators who strayed into illicit relationships that went unreported.
Some involved pages or interns. Some involved only legislators. Some led to divorces. A few led to second and third marriages. And a few led to second divorces.
None was against a specific rule of the Legislature.
Sen. Stace Nelson wants such a rule. He has facts on his side [links added; Bob Mercer, “Does Legislature Need Ban on Sex?” Aberdeen American News, 2017.01.27].
The greatest threat to the ethically challenged Republican leadership in Pierre may be a bull-headed Stace Nelson with facts on his side… and a veteran Pierre reporter willing to say so.
I visited with Stace after the Senate adjourned Thursday. I came away convinced of his sincerity on this issue and convinced of his expertise in investigating sexual abuse. On this issue he truly wants what’s best for the SD Legislature and South Dakota.
There was a time–I believe it was when Bob was with the American News– that we got more news out of Pierre about legislators diddling than working on legislation. A question came up at a faculty meeting at Northern about whether we should send any interns to Pierre. One professor, who was always ready with sage advice, said, no, we don’t need to. Students usually learn how to diddle on their own.
Great Story, Mr Newquist.
As for Wollmann, was he boning two or actually three interns. Out of curiosity? It might be important to know one day.
I’m thinking sex with at least three and possibly making out with another too drunk to give consent. Plus supplying booze to some underage.
Such good Christian family values SD people :(
The funniest joke I heard yet is that the Legislature is breathing a sigh of relief that Wollman wasn’t messing with a male intern. That would be a double hypocritical whammy!
Jenny, the old rule of political career death was never get caught with a dead girl or a live boy. Ted Kennedy and Barney Frank busted that old rule.
When I was a lobbyist some of the male legislators were out of control. One highly respected legislator asked me if he could watch me pee, I politely turned down his generous offer. When I told the Speaker of the House he said since it didn’t happen at the Capitol there was nothing that could be done, but did tell me that he heard that legislator was incredibly drunk that night. Prior to that, the same legislator was so drunk he couldn’t add a tip to his dinner receipt or sign his name, he asked me to do it for him. Then he grabbed his keys and left. I asked the other legislator that was with us if he should be driving. He replied, “That man will never be picked up in this town.” My concern wasn’t that he would get a DUI, but that he would kill somebody!!!! They truly think they are above the laws. BTW, the drunk legislator that likes to watch women pee spent his entire career in law enforcement.
So unfair! These legislators were conscripted into service of our state and now we are going to demand that they swear off sexual relations with anyone other than a spouse?
You Wish You Knew: Entire career in law enforcement, public drunk, and wouldn’t get picked up in Pierre. One person comes to mind, there may be others. Was he also a Janklow appointee and crony?
Gene was always a gentleman at the Dungeon lounge.
Mercer could add “Some meet at the 18th Amendment and Alpine Inn”.
Still waiting for Bob Mercer and Cory to prove anything on EB5 or Gear UP points to either Governor. Good thing I didn’t hold my breath. As far as Stace Nelson, he’s a likeable guy. But he’s like a bull in a china shop and doesn’t play well with others. My expectations of a Former Vet and member of the fed is much higher.
What was really telling was that information provide by Stace Nelson, was quickly posted up as Hearsay by CAH. That tells me and should say to everyone else that Cory was covering DFP from any possible legal actions.
Wow, Boswell, you just can’t stand that the sex scandal shows corruption in Pierre and thus keep going for off-topic distractions. A Republican legislator boinked interns. His GOP leaders covered up his misconduct. Mercer says there’s lots more misconduct that’s been covered up, and Mercer knows more about Pierre than everyone in this comment section put together.
Cory can you prove they covered it up or just ignored it. Can you prove who knew and when and that discussions in private weren’t occurring? I think again this is more about shaming and attempting to show scandal, than actually proving scandal. It is much easier to scream scandal and basically politically mud sling at the other party, than actually prove it. Again I am still waiting for Bob and yourself to prove the comments the both have made on EB5 and Gear UP. So far not so much. (That is again telling). Now what Wollmann did was wrong and deserved some kind of censure, but there was no reason to have it open to the public until after it was investigated. Now that Wollmann resigned no investigation, that is unfortunate. BTW according to Stace Nelson both parties were aware, so if you mudsling you hit both sides. Stace Nelson was more concerned with a public shaming, than finding the entire truth. He also enjoys taking the limelight by using his stir stick. The points are still valid you protected DFP by saying Hearsay and what about due process for others that have been slandered. That makes the bunch of you equally wrong.
So what if Cory was being smart about commenting that it was hearsay” This is Cory’s website, and he’s not exactly popular amongst right wing SD, and so he’s just being responsible by doing that. Using hearsay gives me all the more credence that Cory wants to find the truth and is doing what any writer would do.
Picking apart Cory and his usage of ‘hearsay’ really just says that you can’t come up with anything else. Give it up, Bos.
You’re right, Cory, Bos is just so ticked off that it wasn’t a Democrat legislator caught with his pants down.
If he was screaming scandal, why would he use ‘hearsay’ then, Bos?
Again, Cory is just being a smart responsible journalist by the usage of ‘hearsay’.
Do you like litigation, Bos? If you had a blog site, you would be careful also.
Again, why did the Wollman scandal need to be kept secret? Because this is what South Dakota voters are used to. That it’s not nice when the press brings it out in the open? Don’t voters have a right to know? We need more people like Cory and Stace willing to bring scandals like this out.
Only in GOP SD would Cory be shamed b/c he wrote about it!!
South Dakota wake up, you have every right to know what is going on in Pierre!
Jenny, you are correct. Boswell is just an act of the ridiculous to shut down a site that pisses him off. Just another right wing nutcase trying to be clever, good call on your part to see his arse exposed.
@Jerry Whoa, whoa! Boswell is admittedly no right winger. He is an establishment dingle berry. He is that partisan sycophant we see on both sides of the aisle who defends the indefensible ad nauseam for the people he sees as his imaginary “chain of command.” He creates his own fanciful narrative and runs over salient facts to push his contrived narrative in the desperate hopes that his alternative “reality” is adopted for the RINOs he embraces as his leaders.
@Nelson, A dingle berry?? That may be the best description yet! All of these so called needs to prove verbatim, gets tiring. For what it is worth, thanks for doing your job. It is troubling that the legislature has such a difficult time understanding what ethics has to do with their jobs. Me, I blame the lack of teaching in their homes growing up, as well as Civics classes in high school, as the reason they seem so distant from honesty.
I’ve seen Abdallah so drunk on evenings during session that it was all he could do to navigate. I watched him drive away from the the bar more than once in such a condition. I once watched him carry a full glass of beer from the Long Branch to his car in the middle of the afternoon.
I remarked to Lee Schoenbeck on this proclivity once. Lee forwarded my comments to Gene, who subsequently told me that he “would never support a bill” I supported. Damn! That hurt.
I can hear him asking a woman if he could watch her pee.
@Jerry I owe you and my constituents nothing less…
@Bob Let’s remember that it was conservative Republicans that organized and got rid of that affront.
Stace Nelson you can’t admit you are a blow hard with an axe to grind. You have been called on it the entire time you have been in the legislature. Your behavior is unfitting for someone that wishes to attain a professional position. While you may be right about the corruption, how you are handling is not conducive to a good professional working group. Personnel issues are held behind closed doors until the investigation into that conduct is complete. That is the same for any public position. City Councils, School Boards will conduct closed door meetings on Personnel issues until all the results are found out. Well you decided to go on your own and just publically shame everyone. That puts you at the same professional conduct as Wollmann. I bet there are items in Marsy’s Law about protecting the victims that could have been violated here. You owe your constituents your professional best not hearsay and attention getting. What about due process Stace or did you just forget that. The public has a need to know, but only after all the facts are in. Yes I said your conduct is unprofessional. Your definition of what a Conservative Republican is opinion. Nothing more nothing less
Jenny as with any City Council or School Board with employees that information on conduct must be kept private until the investigation is done. Same with the State Legislature they are hired officials and deserve the same kind of private investigation until all the facts are in. That way we aren’t shaming the innocent along with the guilty. Giving them due process. Stace Nelson is publically shaming not only Wollmann, but anyone with knowledge and even to some extent the victims. We just won’t be able to find out what is the truth. According to Stace, he said he contacted Spencer Hawley and that crosses party lines. This should have been handled in a professional way. Stace was obligated to keep reminding Legislator Leadership to deal with the issue, he was not obligated to make it public before an investigation took place. He was also obligated to direct the Press to the Leadership. That is where these answers need to come from. I am not say cover it up. I am saying give those involved due process under the law.
“While you may be right about the corruption, how you are handling is not conducive to a good professional working group.” Kind of the gist of the whole matter Mr. Boswell. How do you handle corruption in a good professional working group that is itself corrupt? Inquiring minds would like to know. While you think on that, Mr. Nelson is on point here and drawing fire from the legislative adversaries and their lackeys.
I bet Jerry there is a set of rules on how personnel conduct should be handled in the State Legislature code as well that it should be handled confidentially until all the facts are present. I imagine that Stace Nelson has broken some of those. BTW Jerry no one presses my buttons. So you can put that to bed right now. I don’t hide behind a screen and I use my actual identity. and you don’t.
Jerry why would I say Stace is obligated to direct the media to leadership. Hmmmm
@Mike Boswell The irony of you calling anyone a “blow hard with an axe to grind” is enough to choke an earthworm from the irony. Remind me again who easily won two elections last year (the general election with 78.2% of the vote) and who couldn’t get elected to township dog catcher. I do NOT work for the other legislators. I do not work or answer to the “leadership” you fawn over and pledge your undying fealty to, I work for every constituent in my district to the best of my principles will allow. FYI, I retired from a long successful professional career in which I am acknowledged as an expert in several areas nationally. There were two misconducts with the Wollmann scandal that you clearly are ignorant of; however, others fortunately understand. #1 Wollmann’s notorious misconduct over 2 years. #2. Even worse, was the cover up and facilitation of the misconduct. You continue to remain as obtuse as possible in understanding that I did exactly as you demanded, I gave “leadership” enough of the details (which they and Democratic “leadership” in fact had admittedly previously had) for them to take the immediate action that the misconduct warranted. Instead, they did what they did for 2 years. It was the news media who broke the story, not me.
Lastly, you continue to ignorantly defend the indefensible when the person you seek to defend has already conceded to the reported misconduct!
“What the laymen defenders of the indefensible are ignoring is the tacit admission (on steroids) of the accused. 50% of the sordid misconduct is now before the public eye. His uncle and other defenders are now conspicuously silent, and even more telling is that he is silent AND he voluntarily resigned. He cannot, and will not make further statements about this out of fear of the tidal wave of the rest of the 50% that will come crashing down upon his and others heads. Instead, they will hide from the public eye and mutter that it was a “witch hunt” a “political vendetta” to distract from the indefensible ugly truths of the misconduct.
To be clear, when confronted with the accusations against him in the emailed accounts to all the House members, and with a deliberative body empaneled with several ardent supporters, the 26 year old educated man tendered his resignation. That goes WELL beyond a tacit admission http://www.cardozolawreview.com/content/36-1/RUBER.36.1.pdf ”
So, Mr Blow Hard, bury your axe where it belongs, in your obtuse willful ignorance.
Stace who got their butt handed too in the Statewide election. So you are a hero in your district. You burn bridges everywhere else. You ignore the fact you probably violated Legislative Rules governing the handling of Personnel information by bring it public. You won’t answer about due process. You had a vendetta and you made it public. That, Sir, is unprofessional. You slandered more than just Mr Wollman and mudslinged at the rest. You need to be held accountable to that as well.
I think your obtrusive behavior needs to be called out as well.
Mr. Boswell, it would appear that you do not want the facts to emerge on this ethics case. You want them to remain hidden so the guilty can simply go about their business and then come back after a brief time out to continue their predator ways. Mr. Nelson says not only no, but hell no. Looks like you are gonna have to get used to it as he seems like one of those types that aggravate you.
BTW, to deal with you Mr. Boswell, I really do not need to use any name whatsoever. I only give my name to my friends and you have not reached that distinction yet. Mr. Nelson choose to call you dingle berry, which amused the hell out of me. I call myself jerry as my handle here, but it could be anyone as jerry is gender neutral as dingle berry is.
Learn something every day: dingleberry is actually a word. I thought it was just a “grandma-ism” and uniquely one of her words. Since she always called her brother a “dingleberry” I always assumed it was a form of endearment.
Jerry I never said that you are reading into what I am saying. As far as name calling goes it washes off my back like a duck After 23 years in the Military I have worse by better people.
@Mr Boswell I got 18% of the vote, in a 5 way race, against someone who claimed to be like me to fool the voters, and who outspent me 15(?) to 1 with DC special (read big govt loving) interests. Only a dumbass like you would see any shame in that. I categorically reject your continued assine statements. The legislative rules are on line, cite one I violated. You whine about slander and here you are ignorantly citing offenseses which only exist in your head. You show your ignorance for continuing to defend the indefensible in which the offender has already conceded their misconduct. If there was a germ of truth to your ignorance? Those ashamed for having covered this matter up would have demanded my head on a pike. Now, feel free to go pound sand.
No it is using common deciency when dealing with Personnel issues, which you violated. The Due process of all those you slandered. Even your self admittance that you violated rules. Enough said.
@Mike Boswell Remind us all again where I did not report this discretely to House “Leadership” to handle. Point to the emails where this did NOT occur. Point to where I released this information in a press release. You cannot. I only confirmed these circumstances AFTER House “leadership” reported to the press they first became aware of the misconduct via emails from me. The rest of your absurd word salad I throw out with the trash as it has no basis in reality or facts of record.
WOW! I stepped away from this post over the weekend to follow major news around the world and when I come back and see that Boswell has not added one new word to his comments since this news broke.
When was the last time anyone here recalls that a local, state, or national sex scandal was held to the strict standards he is trying to apply to Wollman’s case?
Sex scandals often start with gossip, hearsay or rumor and evolve from there. Wollman’s exploits aren’t special, they have evolved as all sex scandal do.
If Stace did anything wrong or inappropriate in his outing Wollman, you can bet the legislature would be all over him with their ugly stick.
@Roger. You will have to give Mike a couple hours. He is still trying to figure out how to justify all his asinine statements attacking me with the reality that KSFY broke this story based off of an intern who reported the misconduct AND Wollmann’s limited admissions: http://www.ksfy.com/content/news/State-representative-admits-to-having-sex-with-interns-411128545.html It has thrown his whole argument on its head after he ate the BS story of those who defended the misconduct. He will likely come back with a new theory that incorporates a spin on his previous willful ignorance of the matter. A better person would lead with a dutiful apology for being so blithely ignorant; however, I shan’t hold my breath.
Mr. Boswell – if you are accusing Mr. Nelson of slander, it thus suggests you believe what he said was false. What statements from Nelson do you feel fit that criteria? From what I’ve said, his statements about the situation seem to be entirely accurate are they not?
I am saying that Stace Nelson claimed others knew what was going on. Who are these individuals and why was it necessary for Cory to protect DFP by saying Stace’s comments were hearsay. I am not saying that Wollmann didn’t commit a wrongful act, but did it constitute scandal or a conspiracy. Wollmann did the right thing by admitting his guilt even after lying about it several times. That’s more than many politicians have done including Bill Clinton. I feel that Stace in his rush to shame Wollmann forgot this is a Personnel Conduct issue. This should have been investigated in private and all the parties brought in and interviews conducted. Yes this investigation should have been closed door as required to protect individuals due process under the law. It protect the innocent and the guilty. Stace decided to open this to the media and him not being the only one doesn’t excuse his behavior. I don’t want this swept under the rug, but the actions done by Mr Nelson probably means we will never know the whole truth. As a life long citizen of this State, I would be remiss not to call this out. You can choose to agree or not that’s your business. Stace has attempted to turn this on me as I am calling him on this issue well now it has become a shouting match not only here but on my FB page. I am fine with that as it tells me he will never be bigger than his critics.
Now I will apologize for the name calling I did as it isn’t fit for an adult conversation. Even being provoked is not an excuse.
Boswell,
You’ve already said all that for about the umpteenth time. Your repetition is an embarrassment
It’s almost hard to believe that Messers. Boswell and Nelson are real fellows, isn’t it?
Roger, I think you may have missed today’s new word. It came from Stace Nelson when he called Mr. Boswell a dingle berry. Life is funny like that.
Mr. jerry, there are many dingle berries. Mr. Nelson said Mr. Boswell was an “establishment dingle berry” which is different than being a “lunatic fringe dingle berry” like Mr. Nelson.
jerry,
Didn’t miss it all, I’ve always liked that word and have used on occasion to describe someone.
Stace seems to have applied it appropriately in this case.
I want you all to pay particular attention to the reporting part of rules on Sexual Harassment. “”1A-4. Sexual harassment prohibited. All members are responsible for ensuring that the workplace is free from sexual harassment. All members shall avoid any action or conduct which could be viewed as sexual harassment. A member shall report any sexual harassment complaint to the presiding officer of the house to which the member belongs. If the situation is not resolved, the member shall forward the complaint to the Executive Board of the Legislative Research Council.” http://sdlegislature.gov/docs/legsession/2016/JointRules.pdf It doesn’t say they can go to the media.