Hey, you know those political websites Jason Ravnsborg was browsing on his phone right before he drove his car into Joe Boever and killed him? We should remember that the Attorney General was browsing them on his work phone, a phone paid for by the taxpayers of South Dakota.
We heard all this in February 2021 when the Governor’s Office released the video recordings of North Dakota police questioning Ravnsborg. But it’s worth reading the words from the mouths of the investigators and Ravnsborg, now available in written transcripts (first interview September 14, 2020; second interview October 30, 2020) released by the House impeachment committee this week. Turn to the second interview, page 53, where North Dakota Nureau of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Joe Arenz (JA) lays out the phone log timeline to Ravnsborg (JR):
JA: So here’s kinda the information that was put together on your phone (paper shuffling) from and here’s our times. So outgoing call 10:24.
JR: Mm hmm.
JA: So that’s what time you made the 911 call.
JR: Mm hmm.
JA: So and that’s all fine and dandy you know, but leading up to that (inaudible 1:13:33) at 10:20 you unlocked your phone, signed into your Yahoo mail account.
JR: Mm hmm.
JA: Also then and then signed out um at 10:20:49 you were on the Dakota Free Press…
JR: Okay.
JA: site. These are all on your work phone.
JR: Mm hmm.
JA: Um a minute later you were on the Real Clear Politics website.
JR: Okay.
JA: And then about a minute later um this article was pulled up through the Just the News.
JR: Okay.
JA: Which could’ve been something that…
JR: Mm hmm.
JA: you were on this and it had a link to click to get you to this one.
JR: Mm hmm.
JA: Regarding this, it’s an article about Joe Biden and some…
JR: Mm hmm.
JA: thing with China. So you were on that up to about we’re going to estimate probably a minute before the accident.
JR: Okay.
JA: You were on that. Um do you remember any of these?
JR: Well I-I remember looking at em but that’s when I set my phone down…
JA: Mm hmm.
JR: prior to.
JA: Mm hmm.
JR: Yeah. (unknown sound)
JA: Okay. (paper shuffling) Cuz then like I-s-we’re looking at a minute to two minutes before you call 911.
JR: Right. Right.
JA: So with I mean the concern being (unknown sound) is that…
JR: Obviously.
JA: we know that from the time of impact there was a time period that went by before you called 911.
JR: Right.
JA: You-you had to realize what was going on, come to a stop (chair creaking), get your bearings back about you, get out, look at the damage a little bit, figure out what the hell is going on.
JR: Mm hmm.
JA: You’re trying to figure out where you are. JR: Right.
JA: Call 911. So it’s reasonable to say that there was a minute to two minutes that passed from impact to when you were actually on the phone with 911, right? That would be reasonable, correct? I mean…
JR: I guess. Yeah.
JA: So when we look at that our concern is everything that we’re seeing here is appearing that you were on your phone reading political stuff at the time. Um.
JR: (Breath out) But I just wasn’t. (cough in background) (unknown sound) I just set it down. (coughing in background). I know I did. (breath out)
JA: Did you maybe set it down after the accident?
JR: No cuz I grabbed it and went out [emphasis mine; transcript of North Dakota BCI interview with Jason Ravnsborg, 2020.10.30, pp. 53–54].
Ravnsborg was reading political websites relevant to his political campaigning but not to his job as an elected official. South Dakota law prohibits the use of public resources to support political campaigns. Basic office policy and good sense say you don’t browse political websites on work devices.
I would love for Jason Ravnsborg to come out and explain that the websites he was surfing on his work phone provide valuable legal analysis and commentary that helps him do his job and serve the people of South Dakota. Say it, Jason. Say it!
And don’t say it for my ego. Say it because it’s the only way to get out of an attentive legislator saying during April 12’s Special Session on impeachment, “Hey, you were abusing the public resources entrusted to you to support your own political campaigning. That’s not just unacceptable; it’s illegal! Excuses of the spineless committee be darned, I’m voting to impeach!”
Being on your work phone kind of shoots all to hell the contention of the Special Committee on Investigations that you were off duty so therefore running over Joe Boever is not impeachable.
Thank you Nick for pointing out an obvious bending and fogging of the truth by the so called “investigative committee.”
Mr. Ravnsborg is most inept and lied and refused to quit his job in shame. He must be drummed out one way or another.
Kind of curious where he set the phone. As he picked it up after he hit Joe with his car, how was the phone in the same place he set it? Was his phone charging at the time? Wow seems like too many versions to keep straight.
Francis, the story evolves quicker than the corona virus.
Nick,
This must try your patience. His phone was probably next to Joe’s glasses and so JR had to create a narrative to match something plausible. Must be tough to keep his memory of the actual events from screwing up his explanation.