Last updated on 2019-11-26
Columnist Dave Baumeister says beleaguered Minnehaha County state’s attorney Aaron McGowan doesn’t have to surrender to either the suspicious Ravnsborg report or his personal struggles.
I am feeling sorry for Minnehaha County State’s Attorney Aaron McGowan. In my other life as a reporter for every newspaper in Minnehaha County not owned by Gannett, I have been following his situation closely.
From putting together information, it was obvious to me that Republican Gov. Kristi Noem was acting to smear someone from another political party. This was a county matter that the capable members of the Minnehaha County Commission and Sheriff’s office could have looked into, if they felt there was a need.
There was absolutely no reason the governor would need to pull up an arcane law to justify something others could – and were meant to – handle. I think there is plenty of other state business with which she can occupy her time.
An elected official like McGowan has no requirement to ever show up for any kind of regular office hours, so drinking at home, in itself, is not wrong or illegal. And certainly doesn’t rise to the level of the malfeasance Noem was referring to in originally calling for the investigation.
Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg’s report refers to several unnamed and anonymous sources. Knowing the Mr. Ravnsborg from my time in Yankton and reading what my boss CAH writes about him, I have my doubts as to the veracity of any of his allegations against McGowan.
One would think Mr. Ravnsborg would have taken a page from the playbook of his President, who rails against “unnamed sources” being used against him, making it sound like they are all fabricated. But then I think Ravnsborg DID use a page from that book in that we all know The Don constantly uses unnamed, anonymous, and quite likely imaginary sources to back up what he has to say.
In general, I find it odd that it isn’t until a political “witch hunt” (to borrow another phrase from the president) begins that anyone has had anything bad to say about McGowan, who’s been the Minnehaha County State’s Attorney for the past 11 years. Why didn’t any of the allegations that Ravnsborg cited come to light before now?
But this all may be a blessing in disguise for McGowan. People in corrections and law enforcement know what they do is stressful, much more stressful than most professions. They face some of the worst people and situations society has to offer.
In researching McGowan’s situations, I did learn that he often shows up at crime scenes, where he has to confront bad situations first hand. That is not something that most state’s attorney’s do.
Certainly, one can learn more about the crimes that way, but it does add more stress to that overly stressful job.
So, whether the stress came from the job, his mother’s death, the pain in his leg – or if was a combination of all of these things – depression, coupled with alcohol use, can easily be kept in the dark, but it can only be helped by being in the light.
However, this momentary weakness does not need the extreme light of being used for political gain. It is beneath good South Dakotans to do so.
Let me share a few things a few things about my own family.
My brother-in-law was the state’s attorney in Lawrence County (Deadwood, Lead and Spearfish) for many years during the 1970s. At that time, I was told, Lawrence County had the third highest crime rate in South Dakota, and per capita, it is still pretty high today.
I remember him talking about the pressures of that job. Looking back now, I think he may have used alcohol to “self-medicate” somewhat during that time. Fortunately, that phase didn’t last long. He finally made the decision not to run for SA anymore, and he and my sister left the state. He eventually went to work for the federal government.
My father was a long-term alcoholic, but that did not ruin his life. He eventually got sober and, using the knowledge he gained from the School of Hard Knocks, he finished college at age 49 and became the first private addiction counselor in South Dakota. At his funeral, during that time when people share memories, I remember people saying that the only reason they were alive was because of my dad.
My point? Whether it is short-term “self-medication” or long-term abuse, people can come back from alcoholism and do great things.
In my experience, I have seen that those who learn from a one-time weakness make the best citizens.
Mr. McGowan, I have a feeling that this experience will make you stronger. Whether you continue to use that strength for the people of Minnehaha County or use it to shore up stress in your own life, I am pulling for you.
I have myself marveled about the hypocrisy of our esteemed governor’s investigation. This same cabal that tries to convince the public of a witch hunt at the federal level conducts themselves a similar investigation at the local level, then tries to affirm for the public that that one is bad but this one is good.
You can’t have it both ways, governor. Stop being a hypocrite. But I think that may be too much to ask.
Always remember and never forget, wingnuts can’t find their butts with either hand. They are physically/mentally incapable of conducting an investigation that will lead to any serious conclusions. They just can’t do it and 41 years of assorted attacks on Bill and Hillary prove me out.
mfi, correcto mundo. Dopey GNOem is the biggest loser in the state. GNOem supports only losing ideas and losing attitudes. Mr. Baumeister is correct, McGowan is a winner and that’s what pisses Dopey GNOem off. She cannot stand to think that there are winners here in the state so she wants to do her damnedest to silence and shame them with the power of her office. Abuse of power is what this is called, we seem to be seeing and hearing a lot of that these days…always from Republicans…imagine that.
I don’t know anything about McGowan, but I know something about the Hennepin County Attorney, Mike Freeman. The county is home to Minneapolis and several western suburbs, a couple million folks, I believe.
Freeman has served in that capacity for 20+ years and he’s about 70 years old. He’s had to deal with plenty of horrible crime scenes, white cops shooting black people and black cops shooting white people, etc. Lots of stress.
This spring Mr. Freeman took a leave of absence of about 6 weeks, I think it was. The pressure was becoming too much and he was drinking. He was up front about it, went to Hazelden I believe, rested, got sober, got his head back on.
Freeman caught some guff about it from people who had beefs with him, axes to grind, or lacked compassion. Mostly he got support from a wide swath of people without regard to politics.
We have a Democratic governor and Freeman is a Democrat, but even the boneheaded Tim Pawlenty, our last GOP governor, wouldn’t have tried to pile on like NoMa’am is doing. She’s simply being petty, small and cruel. It takes that kind of person to kick another one when he’s down.
Could be PTSD….. http://www.jamesgeering.com/blog/2016/11/27/i-wish-my-head-could-forget-the-things-my-eyes-have-seen
Thoughtful read.
Jeff Bloomberg was a loser without booze and cocaine.
Hang in there SA McGowen. These are trying times. Gov Noem, please try some compassion.
Mr. McGowan is toasted like a marshmallow.
Ms. Noem did not do it to him.
Libbies will scream bloody murder (no pun intended.)
These, gentlemen, are the facts, and they are undisputed.
Bob, wasn’t Mr. Bloomberg a DA fellow back in the day up there in the Belle Fourche neighborhood? Did he not get certificates of appreciation from the county and many other fraternal organizations? And did he not move up in the ranks but chose not to take you with him?
Grudzfecal hasn’t the foggiest.
If the people do not want the governor to look into irregularities such as this one, I suggest they take the initiative to put it on the ballot and vote repeal of the arcane law that is on the books. If the legislature thinks it should be gone, legislative action to remove it from the statutes is called for. If it remains on the books, one must assume that the people want it there and the governor should, using their discretion, look into situations, whether it involves their party or any other party. We all, of course, know that won’t happen. This was way more political than it was for the good of the people or the subject state’s attorney. I believe the people of Minnehaha County are more than capable of doling out the justice they deem proper at the ballot box. Unless McGowan was a “drunkard”, which I don’t believe he was, Noem had no business handling this in the media. Shame on her. Just another reason why this Republican will not be casting a vote for her in the next race, unless the Democrats enlist Castro’s brother to run against her.