“In the spirit of being as transparent as possible on this matter,” Speaker G. Mark Mickelson today released the silent House chamber security video that shows the infamous but apologized-away February 21 DiSanto/Johnson exchange.
Before watching, review the descriptions of the exchange that appeared in the press when the incident became public last Friday:
The interaction in question occurred after the House adjourned Wednesday night.
House Majority Leader Lee Qualm said he saw Johnson and DiSanto locked in a “heated argument.” They then began moving back and forth toward one another as they continued their fight, he said.
Earlier in the day, they’d disagreed over a health insurance bill, which failed by a narrow margin.
DiSanto became intimidated by Johnson’s tone and body posture, said Rep. Dan Kaiser, who spoke on her behalf Friday.
“She was in fear of being assaulted,” Kaiser said.
Another legislator then stepped in and restrained Johnson and escorted him off the House floor, he said.
…Kaiser told reporters the incident could also prompt an investigation by law enforcement officers as Johnson’s behavior could be deemed disorderly conduct.
…Qualm said he didn’t think the offense would merit expulsion.
“I don’t think it even comes close to rising to that,” Qualm said [links mine; Dana Ferguson, “South Dakota Lawmaker to Be Investigated for Verbally Assaulting Colleague,” that Sioux Falls paper, 2018.02.23].
A report by the South Dakota Broadcasters Association states that eyewitnesses, who didn’t want to be identified, said there was a heated exchange between Johnson and DiSanto that escalated into raised voices, foul language, finger-pointing and Johnson being restrained by a fellow legislator.
DiSanto and other legislators reportedly filed a complaint with law enforcement against Johnson for his behavior.
According to an Associated Press story, the investigation on the first-term Republican representative is for conduct the lawmaker described as “unfair statements” to a colleague [“2 West River Representatives Embroiled in Controversy,” AP via KOTA-TV, 2018.02.23].
Republican Rep. Dan Kaiser, one lawmaker who moved to form the investigative panel, said DiSanto and two witnesses told him Johnson approached DiSanto loudly and with a posture that made her fear being assaulted during Wednesday evening’s incident on the House floor [“South Dakota House to Investigate Conduct of Rep. David Johnson,” AP via Rapid City Journal, 2018.02.23].
Now watch the video. At 1:45, Rep. DiSanto is visible at the lower left corner of the screen, at the front of the chamber, in a black top and tan pants, talking with Rep. Steven Haugaard, facing her at his front-row desk, and another man with his back to the camera. At that moment, Rep. Johnson enters from lower left.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18cFEWEDRCs
I contest two verbs used in Rep. Kaiser’s hearsay statements to the press:
- restrained: If Majority Leader Qualm’s intervention (around 2:50) counts as restraint, it is a very restrained restraint. There is no visible sign that Johnson resisted Qualm’s urging or needed much push to leave.
- escorted: Qualm stays at the front of the Chamber. Johnson walks away alone, exiting toward the back of the House.
Good golly, that Mr. Qualm is a strong little fellow to be able to put his hand on Mr. Johnson’s shoulder for about 2 seconds and deflect him all the way to the back of the chambers.
There was some pointing, indeed. Pointed pointing. I have seen worse in many debates in the legislatures. Heck, I think I’ve seen worse in movies of Mr. H just campaign speeching. What a farce.
Snowflake.
Okay. I guess Johnson was serious. Looks like he took the gloves off. I really expected him to tower over her.
The “altercation” wasn’t enough to cause the clerks to look up from or stop their work.
So that’s what this over-exaggeration, exaggeration was all about? And the big hub-bub about making a big hub-bub and then quickly making the big hub-bub go away? That this was much ado about nada? THAT was the “rest” of this story? Holy crap on a cracker.
For someone who was “in fear for my safety” (she turns her back to him at one point, she was so scared)—- ummmm, wow.
I’ve seen bigger battles between Panda cubs…I have the videos…These lawmakers seem like they have a lot of time on their hands.. What are we paying them for, they could do all of this on Skype.
If you notice, Di Santo, when she walks up the aisle, keeps looking over at Johnson at his desk. Even when Johnson leaves the room, and Di Santo is briefly talking with some legislators and then moves up to Haugaard, she glances over at Johnson desk.
Haugaard then calls him over when Di Santo is talking to him and they probably try to act all nicey nice with him when you can tell he doesn’t want to talk with them. It looks like they try to keep talking to him when you can tell he doesn’t want to. Di Santo and Haugaard are in the extreme right wing of the Club and Johnson probably doesn’t want to play the nicey nice game that the Club plays in Pierre.
I’m not a fan of DiSanto. I do remember awhile back when “Black Lives Matter” was in the media fore front and DiSanto made a vulgar comment on her Facebook page concerning people getting mowed down by a car. That statement, even the it was pooh poohed later by her conservative friends, has had a lasting effect on me.
Whatever Johnson said, it was said to one person, with two others listening, and no one has published his comments online. Rep. DiSanto published her “All Lives Splatter” as an open threat to millions of people online.
Rep. Elizabeth May, one of the two immediate eyewitnesses, says Johnson said “You’re a f—— b—-” repeatedly.
If Rep Johnson used the language Rep May claims he used, he was way over the line. But to claim that his words constitute anything more serious than conduct unbecoming a legislator is quite a stretch. Threatening? Get real.
I agree with Curt. Being rude and being a jerk are far from threatening. She said this conversation “was frightening and I believed, as did many of the onlookers, that he was going to hurt me.”
First of all, it didn’t look like any of the onlookers were concerned for her physical safety.
Second, why does everybody in this world need other people to stand up for them? If somebody stood up to people like Johnson more often, they would feel less empowered to yell at people and act like bullies. Grow up and stand up for yourself.
Third, if she really felt like she was being assaulted and that he was going to hurt her, and then she “wanted to look out for the House Republican caucus by accepting an apology” she is a sell out of the highest order and deserves to be the type of person who lives in fear. How can somebody sleep at night if they just throw their own personal morals out the window because some “authority” in their special clubhouse told them to? She is a joke, and if she was really pressured by party leadership to sweep her fears of assault under the rug, they are pieces of crap, too. If somebody assaults you, do something about it, or shut up and be meek. You shouldn’t expect the rest of the world to support you if you aren’t willing to stand up for yourself.
Cory writes:
Dana Ferguson wrote:
Apparently Johnson was (angrily and inappropriately) accusing DiSanto of lying, which seems (slightly) less immature than empty name-calling.
I disagree with those who say Johnson’s behavior wasn’t physically threatening. Even Haugaard rocks back onto his heels around 2:10 in the video, and at 2:20 Johnson approaches DiSanto even more rapidly and gets much closer to her before he stops.
I’d note that Johnson has fully apologized. To my knowledge DiSanto has accepted no responsibility for anything she may have done to provoke his anger. I’d also note that DiSanto is trying to have it both ways when she says she asked the disciplinary committee to disband “when she doubted she could get a fair hearing” but then complains about “legislative leaders’ reluctance to take action.”
Oops! Good catch, Kurt. “Lying” is an important word to include in that quote.
It seems important to note that Johnson’s body seems never to be closer than three feet to DiSanto. The desk was between Haugaard and Johnson—are you sure Haugaard was “rocking back onto his heels”?
Cory writes:
Maybe I’m misjudging the distance, but there are a couple of frames at 2:21 in which he looks closer than three feet to me, despite the fact that DiSanto appears to jump back from him.
It looks to me like Haugaard shifts his weight back uneasily at 2:10-2:11. It would probably provide helpful context if we could hear what DiSanto says at 2:05-2:07 that appears to change Johnson’s mind about walking away.
I’d written:
I’m wondering how wide the nameplate on the desk is. That would appear to be a pretty good reference for how far Johnson moved into DeSanto’s space.
Ugh. Spelling. *DiSanto
DiSanto and the rest of her Taliban wing of the Republican Party hate Johnson because he took on and nearly beat fellow terrorist Phil Jensen in the primaries a couple years ago. They are totally ineffective legislators, but are very effective character assassins.
Mr. Evans said:
So, Mr. Evans, are you saying you don’t think Ms. DiSanto lied during her committee testimony vs. what she said on the floor? Which one of her statements was, then, what…a “misrepresentation?” I submit Mr. Johnson’s Strike 3 (lying to a committee) was what threw him into a frothing, arm waving, screaming, hair-pulling rage.
I’d written:
“grudznick” asks:
I haven’t educated myself on the backstory here and don’t know whether DiSanto lied. When I said Johnson was “inappropriately” accusing her, I was referring to his vulgarity, name-calling and general demeanor.
Mr. Evans replies to my previous inquiry:
Thank you for the clarification. If, indeed, he said vulgarities and spouted name-calling terms like an Iowegian might during his finger pointing, it was rather inappropriate.
“grudznick” writes:
On the flip side, if I’d been Haugaard in this situation, I’d have been like, “Is getting the last word really worth this, Lynn? Please just shut up and let him go.”
Ugh. Spelling. *Lynne