I don’t see a supporting document on the Legislative Executive Board’s website, but Bob Mercer reports that the E-Board learned yesterday that the Legislature spent about three times the Attorney General’s annual salary to impeach and convict killer Jason Ravnsborg:
South Dakota lawmakers spent $368,399.40 on impeaching the state attorney general and removing him from office.
…The House of Representatives spent $276,948.17 in its pursuit of Jason Ravnsborg. That included $132,611.35 for outside legal services.
The Senate spent $91,451.23, including $3,271.18 for legal services, as well as $3,863.50 for court reporter services.
…Ravnsborg’s annual salary at the time was $128,736.49 [Bob Mercer, “Big Bill to Boot Ravnsborg from Office,” KELO-TV, 2022.08.23].
Justice, like freedom, isn’t free.
The Legislature’s accounting does not include the amount Ravnsborg spent defending himself before the Legislature. In 2017, when Pennington County approved big budget increases for its courthouse and public defenders’ budgets to handle two death penalty trials, director of county public defenders Eric Whitcher said prosecution and defense of death penalty cases can cost taxpayers $500,000 to $1,000,000. Studies have found other states spending well over a million dollars on each capital trial.
Not happy with the amount, for sure, but I’d swallow it much easier than Noem’s $209,000 to a crony, (phony) Hillsdale College for an education package to educate our children to fit her badly misconstrued vision of the how this world should run according to her warped view.
Her love of trumpist ideals (cheating, lying, refusing to live in a law driven society) is definitely good enough reason to throw her out with last year’s garbage-‘cuz it smells to high heaven of rot.
Being involved in Republican politics, as a lobbyist, attorney, advisor, fund raiser or spear carrier can be lucrative as there is much money at hand, begging to be spent. For those involved, it is a living.
The same is true, Mr. Blundt, for the libbies. Look no further than Mr. Weiland. There is a fellow who spares no change on his coiff nor his breakfast bagels or pinky-wagging teas. From whence does that money come.
Of course, but it is a matter of degree. Democrats play the same game but with fewer deep pockets and corporate cash. Hollywood isn’t very attracted to South Dakota races. Even Soros’s kid can only afford 9 grand to the State Democrats. Mrs. Noem won’t go across the street for 9,000 bucks.
Bob Mercer writes:
Thanks to Bob for not repeating the bogus claim of Governor Noem’s DPS secretary Craig Price that Joe was “walking” during the collision ten feet outside the white line. If Joe had been walking rather than coming off the hood with momentum to the west-northwest, the collision on the extreme right side of the car roughly a foot from the edge of the pavement would have angled it into the ditch.
Kurt Evans and Hershell Walker are mental brothers. Forrest and Bubba.
Kurt, you need to give up on your conspiracy theory. No one buys it. Jason Ravnsborg killed Joe Boever. Jason Ravnsborg lied about that killing. Jason Ravnsborg deserved impeachment, conviction, removal from office, and banishment from seeking public office ever again.
The money we spent to impeach Ravnsborg is the cost of doing justice and democracy. Anyone who wants to complain about the cost needs to talk to Jason Ravnsborg, who could have saved the state that money by doing the decent thing and resigning in 2020.
Mr. Evans- None of us were on the street (nor shoulder) in the vicinity of the highway the night Mr. Boever died. We understand your frustrations with the way it was reported and who played what role, so on and so forth. With all due respect, I am begging you to give the deceased the benefit of the doubt, on account he cannot speak for himself. I’m not sure if you and he were known to each other. Either way, that doesn’t give anyone the right to declare what another man’s intentions were, especially not having conversed with him about his private, personal intentions prior to the fatal incident. In case you are not aware, it is insulting to keep saying those things over and over…. … …
I feel messed up if I don’t try to help people when they are unintentionally inflicting pain. What I am trying to say to you, Sir, is not only are you inflicting pain onto your readers, (your tarnishing Mr. Boever’s reputation honestly hurts my feelers) you are terrorizing the family and friends of the late Mr. Boever. Your repeated assumptions have been heard. Now please. Please. I know you are capable of grace and intelligence and I would say you possess honor, as did Mr. Boever. Nobody should think otherwise over something nobody on this good earth truly knows for sure. A dead man’s unspoken intentions die with him. Please stop now. I’m begging you.
One thing you do have me convinced of however, and I agree with you 100% is Kristi Noem should resign(: I think most of us commenting on Mr. H’s rousing articles are more keen as to what your thoughts are pertaining to the relevant topics hot off the wire. There’s plenty of fresh state scandals to crank your tractor. Mr. H is no slouch when it comes to serving up the hot dishes.
I disagree. These and other unnecessary costs foisted on taxpayers are a result of Republican corrupt power plays putting “players” in office who are incompetent and compliant to party wishes. Over and over again. If the GOP operated w/ integrity, unvetted train wrecks like Noem and Ravnsborg would never happen. Litigation is generally a fools errand.
Cory writes:
Your suggestion that no one agrees with me is absurd. So far this blog is the only place anyone disagrees with me.
Jason didn’t commit the crime of illegal lane change because Joe’s impact with the extreme right side of the car is what angled it onto the shoulder. That means the first article of impeachment was false.
Jason didn’t make a direct misrepresentation to the 911 dispatch officer because the path of a vehicle near the middle of its lane is commonly called the middle of the road. That means the second article of impeachment was false.
Why would you say the collision on the extreme right side of the car traveling over 60 miles per hour roughly a foot from the edge of the pavement didn’t angle it into the ditch?