Beth Warden offers a vital piece of information to the developing story of Governor Kristi Noem’s abuse of power in intervening in her daughter Kassidy Peters’s real estate appraiser license application.
In its angry spin-storm, Noem’s spokesperson Ian Fury said that hauling the state’s appraiser certifier, Sherry Bren, into a star chamber meeting with the Governor, the Governor’s aggrieved daughter, the Governor’s chief of staff, the Governor’s general counsel, the Secretary of Labor, and the Department of Labor’s lawyer was an example of Noem working to stop “bureaucratic red tape” from hindering “South Dakota’s sustained economic growth.” However, Warden reports that Bren was simply trying to avoid the kind of conflict of interest that Team Noem has launched into the headlines:
Sources tell Dakota News Now when Bren received notice of Kassidy Peters’s appraisal test, she arranged to have it scored out of state, to avoid a conflict of interest [Beth Warden, “Noem’s Meeting Highlights Real Estate Appraisal Regulations in South Dakota,” KSFY, 2021.09.27].
Bren tried to keep the state’s appraisal system clean. Instead, self-serving Team Noem dirtied it up.
And if you want to talk about obstacles to economic activity, imagine what would happen if federal auditors suspended all real estate appraisals in South Dakota:
While most states have a board to oversee certifications, South Dakota is among just a few states that have only an administrator.
Joe Ibach, President of the Association of Appraiser Regulatory Officials says the loss of Bren could result in possible setbacks for the state when the Federal Audits are conducted in the future, since Bren’s replacement lacks experience in that part of the job.
“So those audits are very detailed. very detailed, so I wish them well. They lost a great asset. It’s going to be extremely difficult to replace and I think it was a mistake but that’s just me speaking personally,” said Ibach.
The federal auditors have the power to stop all appraisals in the state should issues arise during the audit. This could affect financing issues for both residential and commercial mortgages and loans [Warden, 2021.09.27].
Kristi flexes her Governor’s muscle to help her daughter start her lucrative business, and in return, she creates a risk that every bank-financed real estate transaction in the state could be delayed by federal auditors’ concern that South Dakota’s appraisers aren’t properly vetted. That’s a stunning example of how nepotism and unchecked abuse of power can hurt every South Dakotan.
According to Bill Janklow’s idea of public radio the Governor’s Office declined to answer SDPB’s questions after Sherry Bren was forced to resign and told not to sue. How is this not extortion?
https://listen.sdpb.org/politics/2021-09-28/noem-administration-pays-200-000-to-settle-allegation-of-age-discrimination
I see 33 legislators signed a resolution for the Biden Administration not to issue COVID mandates.
Maybe these legislators should worry about things closer to home, like a Governor who is out of control.
It’s painfully obvious that Kristi Lynn can do or say whatever she wants, whether it’s stupid, illegal or immoral. Preferably all three. Reptilians will just smile and thoughtlessly “make it so.” They’ll pinch her cute widdle cheeks, chuck her gently under her adorable chin, and wander aimlessly off, vaguely trying to remember what their purpose was.
Apparently the daughter is not capable of passing the test on her own. Mama Bear to the rescue!
Should the feds put a lock on all appraisals, it might be a good thing. Sometimes you have to knock down the old to “Build back Better”.
Incapable corrupt daughter, incapable corrupt mother, apple did not fall far from the tree. Now, will South Dakota have a double impeachment? We don’t have an effective Attorney General so maybe the Department of Justice should step in to investigate this corruption.
What does crack me up though is that on the front page of the Rapid City Journal there are pictures of both the corrupt NOem and the murderer Ravansborg. One story about corruption and the other story about impeachment, both story’s could be interchanged with one another.
So Bern was punished for acting ethically by having Kassidy’s test scored out of state. Bern may have also thought that she was protecting herself by having someone else score Kassidy’s exam. But the only acceptable result for Kristi was a passing score for Kassidy. Consequently, Bern was placed in a no win situation by an unethical governor. The governor’s insistence on retaliation for ethical behavior cost the taxpayers $200,000.00. Blatant corrupt behavior like this probably means that more of the same is occurring in the Noem administration.
Professional crybaby Ian Fussbudget makes an interesting point. Noem’s corrupt intervention is intended to protect our state’s economic growth by removing red tape for a cheater who happens to be Noem’s whelp. Think about it. How much growth was the whelp going to generate that Mom needed to intervene and bribe a bureaucrat with hush money? Must be millions. No, billions! Trillions!!! And does this mean that any Noem family member or major contributor or pal can count on getting an official certification without passing a basic competency test?
Let’s hope that nobody is going to take a Noem property appraisal seriously. Or the firm that hires her. A $200K bribe still doesn’t entitle the whelp to an appraiser’s license and it doesn’t clear up the stink.
Why not just pay $200,000 to Kassidy and move her out of state? She knows how to keep her mouth shut. Fait accompli!
Well…it is shameful and probably indicative of more self serving in government by the Governor and administration officials. Pierre, being an isolated community and one not served well by media outlets can become a hot bed for this kind of corruption. There are few secrets in Pierre and the news will leak out if the occasional reporter who visits with state employees is at all vigilant. You can bet that the Noem nepotism and underhanded dealings with a career employee, who made less than $50,000 per annum, was big news in the coffee shops and at happy hours this last nine months in Pierre. It took a long time to break to the public but was probably well known among state employees.
NOem is bitching that it’s everyone’s fault but her own. NOem is trump with a tampon, that’s the only difference between the two. Her sugar daddy trump got impeached twice, NOem should at least get half that amount. Impeach the beech.
Daily Kos has this link up https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/28/2054872/-South-Dakota-Gov-Kristi-Noem-responds-to-report-on-abuse-of-power-by-playing-the-victim
So Bren punted and it was blocked. Both grudz and John Dale were wrong. Still not surprising. Corruption in South Dakota, definitely not a surprise. What’s the worst word in South Dakota?……..RINO. A sad state of affairs. When the leader of your party is a lying loser, con man grifter what do you expect from the underlings? All over the country the the red governor’s have put the covid virus on the endangered species list. They only like fetuses kept alive everybody else get vaccinated for your own sake.. Just imagine if polio existed now and the United States had the means to get rid of it, freedom rings. Mandates save lives, too bad the party of life won’t visualize that one. At least Noem is protecting her own, she started her career that way and maybe this will end it. Doubtful but she hasn’t killed that many people has she?
Daily Kos hit the nut Noem Nothing out of the old ball park, Jerry. Gracias.
The Aaron Rupar tweet quoted in that Kos article from Jerry is particularly good. Noem thinks favors for Hunter Biden damage Joe Biden’s credibility, so don’t favors for Kassidy Noem Peters damage Kristi Noem’s credibility?
Well…there is much more to this story. Where did the 200,000 dollars come from?? Is it federal or state money?? Out of which Departments budget??? If it came out of the Governor’s budget, what is the line item?? “Avoiding political embarrassment? ” or “Helping the children get started in Life?” If it came from the Department of Labor and Regulation there is a real problem,,most of that budget is federal origin. Who in State Government has 200 grand socked away for any contingency..did the Legislature approve this expenditure?? Is this part of the Governor’s Emergency funds?? What was the emergency?? Was Mrs. Bren replaced, if so, by whom. Who certifies Home appraisers now? Why is Ms. Brens email still in use?? We have employed a million dollars worth of techies, why can’t we change an email address??? Or did they just hand the files over to clerical staff and say “Do the best you can, the Department Secretary will sign the certificates. ” Of course, there is much more…who recommended the settlement…which attorney?? There must have been a good reason…200 grand is a hefty settlement. I’ve never heard of a case like this in State Government.
Salon goes after Noem… https://www.salon.com/2021/09/28/kristi-noem-called-out-over-clear-conflict-of-interest-and-abuse-of-power_partner/
and so does National Review, calling out Noem’s corruption and nepotism… https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/more-trouble-for-kristi-noem/
This prolly happens all the time, Mr. Blundt. What will be funny is watching Mr. Ravnsborg’s limited goons go out and start a flyswatter battle.
When you’re cornered, lay down and pretend to be the “real” victim.
Listen I get it. I signed up for this job. But now the media is trying to destroy my children. This story is just another example of the double standard that exists with the media… going after conservatives and their kids while ignoring Liberals #AskTheBigGuy
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) September 27, 2021
Grudz-It does not happen all the time in State Government…in fact, it just does not happen…or if it ever did, it was swept so far under the rug, it never saw the light of day…Pull yourself together Grudz, you’re starting to babble incoherently.
Oh, how badly the questions of Arlo Blundt (above) NEED to be answered! Any more.