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Team Smith Bought Noem’s Defend Title IX Website; Governor Still Hasn’t Removed Link to Partisan Campaign from State Website

By Cory Allen Heidelberger on 2022-06-10

The clever devils who snapped up Kristi Noem’s forgotten “Defend Title IX Now” web domain and redirected it real educator and women’s-rights defender Jamie Smith’s gubernatorial campaign website weren’t just friends of snark and democracy; they were the Smith campaign:

Smith in an interview with the Argus Leader Wednesday confirmed his campaign purchased the rights to the website the prior day before redirecting visitors to DefendTitleIXNow.com to his official campaign website.

“We felt that this domain is just another example of how it’s all about national politics for Kristi Noem,” said the 51-year-old currently serving as minority leader in the South Dakota State House. “It’s another example of a problem that was imported to our state from the national level instead of focusing on the tough issues we need to solve here in South Dakota” [Joe Sneve, “Gov. Kristi Noem’s Challenger Hijacks Website Launched to ‘Defend Title IX’ Amid Transgender Sports Debate,” Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 2022.06.09].

Three days after Smith’s clever acquisition, Governor Noem’s official state press release still points to the link that now promotes Smith’s Democratic campaign to take her job. Noem is away today campaigning in Orange County, California, but hey, Team Noem, when the boss gets back, you might want to remind her that SDCL 12-27-20 forbids the use of public funds to promote a candidate. By posting a link to Jamie Smith’s campaign website on the state server, which is maintained by the expenditure of public dollars, Governor Noem is technically violating the law to help her opponent.

Published in South Dakota

13 Comments

  1. cathy 2022-06-10 07:47

    lol

  2. Nick Nemec 2022-06-10 08:53

    Does the state have any rules concerning “SD.gov” websites connecting to non “SD.gov” websites? it would seem if they do they broke the rule way back when Kristi set up the original “DefendTitleIX” bogus website.

  3. Vi Kingman 2022-06-10 12:57

    LOCK HER UP!!!!!

  4. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2022-06-10 12:58

    Nick, you always know the right question to ask. Experience in government and oversight comes in handy!

    The state’s website includes a disclaimer page that says external links are made at the state’s discretion but that links to political pages are “not considered appropriate”:

    This website may contain links to external websites or systems not owned or controlled by the State of South Dakota. In its sole discretion, the State will determine whether the external website is consistent with the purpose of the state website on a case by case basis. The links to the sites containing the following types of content are not considered appropriate (this list is a nonexclusive list):

    • Sites that exhibit hate, bias, discrimination, pornography, libelous or otherwise defamatory content;
    • Affiliation or advocacy of a political party, organization, or candidate running for office except for links placed on the Secretary of State’s website to provide access to information on political parties, candidates, election procedures and election laws;
    • Content not suitable for readers or viewers of all ages;
    • Content that infringes on any trademark, copyright, or patent rights of another;
    • Content that a reasonable citizen may not consider to maintain the dignity and decorum appropriate for government

    Links to external websites and pages may be removed or replaced at the sole discretion of the State, at any time without notice [State of South Dakota, South Dakota Online Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability, retrieved 2022.06.10].

    And as of my check just now at 12:56 CDT, Team Noem has finally gotten someone to remove this policy-violating link from her old press release. So fun’s over, everyone! Back to work….

  8. Nick Nemec 2022-06-10 13:32

    Ahh, when at first you begin to deceive.

  9. Arlo Blundt 2022-06-10 20:17

    Well…Governor Noem always weaves a tangled web…She’s very busy, you know, finding hot number issues like trans boys playing girls sports, impeaching a Constitutional Officer, or full citizenship for sperm and egg at the moment they collide.Then, you’ve got to find a decent job for the kids. In the middle of skulling out solutions to those problems, she has to drop everything and scoot to Orange County to pick up some pin money. The Democrats are few but pesky, the naysayers in her Party just don’t understand the daily sacrifices she makes to quell possible insurrection. Communists are everywhere. She is not being well served by her staff who should look after these web site things. She can’t control everything, hard as she tries.

  10. Guy 2022-06-11 00:59

    Well, I haven’t chimed in for a GREAT while…my vote is for Jamie Smith.

  11. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2022-06-11 07:52

    Smith is glad to have that vote, Guy. Now bring ten of your friends to the polls and get them to do the same!

  13. Richard Schriever 2022-06-12 17:57

    Incompetence and lack of attention to detail – SD Republican trademark performance. Sloth at its finest.

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