Hughes County States Attorney Jessica LaMie has decided she can’t prosecute Governor Kristi Noem for alleged misuse of the state plane for personal or political purposes:
La Mie and the DCI concluded that there were no facts to support a criminal prosecution under current law for the use of the airplane and that the allegation regarding flight records was frivolous [Office of the State’s Attorney, press release, posted in Jacob Newton, “No Prosecution Coming in Noem Plane Probe,” KELO-TV, 2022.10.25].
So voters can pass a law preventing the use of the state plane for anything other than “state business”, but the Governor can fly her son and his teenage friends out to the Black Hills on the state plane for her daughter’s wedding, and that’s “state business“?
LaMie’s conclusion that the Governor can’t be prosecuted for misusing the state plane is shocking. Making matters worse, LaMie’s conclusion that the complaint was frivolous opens the door for Noem to sic her high-priced lawyers on the complainant, Senator Reynold Nesiba (D-15/Sioux Falls) and maybe on killer former Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg for forwarding that complaint to the Government Accountability Board. SDCL 3-24-6 allows the subject of a complaint to commence a civil action and take money out of the hide of the complainant.
So hey, everybody: quit looking at Noem’s travel records and trying to pin her down for abusing her office. The Hughes County States Attorney says giving kids joyrides in the state plane is not frivolous; the frivolity is all on the folks who dare complain about such queenly indulgence.
The complainers should indeed be punished.
Good Morning grudznichts. Hoping your gravy is smooth and your coffee is comforting. Try not to drown in your breakfast cereal. #grins
A creative ambulance chaser will find state employees who received “discipline” for less egregious, but similar private use of state vehicles, boats, backhoes, bulldozers, or other equipment, or having a private pet in a state vehicle – then over-turn that discipline, gather back pay, fines, reinstate promotions, etc.
Think about Noem’s miss-use of the state plane. You, the SD taxpayer, insured those passengers going to the private, family wedding.
The “state” via its spineless executive branch law enforcers and prosecutors, made state laws of private conversion of public goods unenforceable due to the state’s “waiver”.
Corporate republicans are lawless, or rather folks who think the law only ought apply to “other people”.
But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother.
Lamies conclusion that the Governor can’t be prosecuted for misusing the state plane is shocking.
Not really.
The conclusion was baked in just like Christina Klingers decision on Amendment A.
Nepotism ? Nope.
The SDGOP is a criminal enterprise.
Has been for years.
AYFKM! Corruption at its best.
Well, the rule of law is certainly not in good shape in South Dakota, but it’s not a surprise to me. The bad guys always win in South Dakota. Always. Well, almost always. Janklow finally got prosecuted, but not until he killed someone.
That sniffling rat of a States Attorney ought to see the inside of a prison cell for trying to intimidate people who are trying to get the Governor’s crime wave under control.
All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.
It’s raining Orwell here in SD.
Refresher course…. Here is the original RawStory article that broke the news about Noem Nothing’s misuse of state planes from February-
https://www.rawstory.com/kristi-noem-2650536372/
county states attorney of hughes county[ Jessica LeMies is blowing smoke for gov.noem ,and ethicaly should know better. but knowing SD. as i do ,it seems we continually keep putting idiots in positions of power.no wonder we remain the laughing stock of the nation .this the business of the supreme court of sd.
,,,
FWIW – a few years back when I asked the SD AGs office to investigate a local government official for committing a felony regarding an official act, I was told – in so many words – the AG office has as its primary duty, PROTECTING GOVERNMENT and its officials from “the people”, and not vice versa.
Set this story right next to the KELO poll showing Governor Noem leading by a whoomongous 20 points, and anecdotes about how 92% of the world believes she will win. Today is probably the second day in a row with bad news for Extreme Mr. Smith. The people will move on with the election.
What about ALL of the FRIVOLOUS LAWSUTS she FILED AGAINST the federal gov’t/Biden administration USING OUR TAXPAYERS MONEY. How many of those lawsuits were THROWNOUT by judges saying there was NO merit to them. She NEEDS to pay back ALL of that MONEY that she used to the taxpayers of SD. Imagine what ANOTHER 4 YEARS OF NOem WILL to do this state. Someone NEEDS to AKS her the same questioned Christ Cristi asked De Santis & that is will she serve her FULL 4 years of governor. I see her pulling a Sarah Palin, 2 years then she will quit to
go full time for her futile attempt for President
John- I would love to be able to demand payback to at least one other state employee who got canned for something that didn’t even come close to the theft committed by Gov Noem.
Mr. Pat Jones, my principal at Central High School was a stand up guy and a very effective principal. I remember him standing out in the parking lot before and after school, rain or freezing, wearing orange hi-vis gloves, directing the choked traffic and helping vehicles get in and out safely.
The state fired him after he wrote a personal check to reimburse the state for borrowing a company van to take his family to a state high school function in another town. Nobody understood what he did wrong. He was so honest and fair and he paid the price for it. The poor guy even got car bombed that year! For the state to axe him after all the improvements and personal time and effort he put into his students, faculty, and community was mean. It really is costing our state more than we can afford to keep voting for people who suck at their job. Pink slip these fascist clowns.
The new TEFLON DON(na)!
I think we can trust the opinion of the Judges on the Government Accountability Board that wrongdoing was committed by Governor Noem in the two instances noted…the Bren firing and the use of the state plane for personal business. It seems to me the Special Prosecutor for the Attorney General is stretching the “Exempt Employee” provision of the state civil service law to exempt the Governor from prosecution . Under the civil service statutes, elected officials and certain appointed officials within the executive branch are “exempt” from the statutes and administrative rules governing the behavior of all other employees of the executive branch. In this instance, the official, Governor Noem is exempt from prosecution regardless of whether she abused state law and used state property for her own pleasure or not. The Special Prosecutor has ruled, “It is good to be King.”
Proof positive that Noem is bound for national Reptilian office. When the governor does it, that means it’s not illegal.
Time for Kristi to step up her game now she’s considered untouchable. Maybe an inconvenient husband could have an “oopsie” death (one can learn a lot from those playful Borgias) or Boomer (Booker? Booger?) can be State Treasurer.
What a great state this is!
Speaking of the misrule of law in South Dakota, I’ve never been able to find out whether James Rankin Brown, the sewage ash to gold scammer, ever did one day in prison for his misdeeds. I know that Deb Rogers, with help from attorney Jim Leach, was able to put into the record, despite the efforts to silence her at a hearing of the Board of Minerals and Environment, that Mr. Brown had lied about his credentials upon which the Board relied in order to be snookered into giving his company a permit to move sewage ash from the Twin Cities to South Dakota. I do know Brown was convicted of perjury. I know that he appealed to the SD Supreme Court. I know that he lost his appeal. I do not know if he ever spent any time at that Big Quartzite Mansion on the hill in Sioux Falls. Given how the South Dakota legal system works, I would be surprised if this scammer got his South Dakota get out of jail card because he agreed to pay off a few of the elite who got bilked. THAT is the South Dakota justice system. Pay off the elite, you walk.
Nobody understood what he did wrong. Obviously his honesty upset the crooks at the public trough, not that they needed a reason in a one party ruled s***t hole state guv.
Oddly, or maybe not so odd, the Governor used the same “exempt from disciplinary action” defense invoked by Attorney General Ravensborg after he pled guilty to driving carelessly while on duty.
Can’t they just buy plane tickets like everyone else has to?
What’s better than Noem winning? Noem winning and the Democrats being teed off about it. Give the people what they want.
Come on it was a wedding and family. It wasn’t same sex thingy and the bathrooms were appropriately labeled. Flying is Kristi’s meditation. Twice a day.
Grudz, you can indeed spank the complainers if your into that sort of thing.
Privileged. Inept. Inbred. Republicans. It is hoped she starts legal action against the complainant, Senator Reynold Nesiba (D-15/Sioux Falls to check how far she can push her authority. Gee might have to start using the corruption adjective when talking about the good old South Dakota republicans. Goodness 45 is taking civics to lower low lows. Now, this queen clown is posed to be more stupid then previously thought.
Of course, if the tide changes In November she will become a footnote in the stories of 45 and how he ended up in the clink.
The best and brightest in law enforcement looking into things brought a chuckle. As noted start with dumb and it just gets dumber.
I’d love to breakfast with Mr. Nesiba to look back and laugh about the Board of Accountability and accusations of tampering with flight logs, we could have some french toast with homemade butter, and some fresh made gravy taters. It would be grand. Except Mr. Nesiba would expode with rage and start throwing things and screaming and waving his arms about, as is his wont.
I knew she would get off scott free, just like DT. They always manage to avoid the law.
Don’t be discouraged Lotti. Sometimes the wheels of justice grind slowly. Your day will come.
Can you imagine how busy our new state plane is going to be for the next 2 years if Noem wins re-election? She will really be flying all over the country in pursuit of national office.
That is probably why we have a plane, Mr. Kellar.
Grudz…did you go through the name of the donors to Smith??? I found many stalwart Republicans who have served in previous Republican Administrations or who have been elected to office as Republicans. It looks to me that people of good will and good conscience no longer want to be affiliated with Governor Noem and her version of the Republican Party. These folks are not Democrats and never will be, but there seems to be a definite move away from Governor Noem’s Party to a new coalition. Your insight please, unless you just want to goof around with your usual nonsense.
I hope Sherry Bren has her $200,000 settlement from The Greatest State and Best Economy in the Nation tucked away somewhere safely in Israel, or the Cayman Islands, or Dominica, or Bahamas, or ANYWHERE, before South Dakota claws it back. Considering the ridiculous sh*t the SD Reptiles (should be the state animal) is getting away with. Yeah, I know, incomplete sentences.
In Florida, criminal and election loser Donald Trump can count on U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon to render horsesh#t opinions. In South Dakota, Hughes County States Attorney Jessica LaMie is Kristi’s tool.
Come on, what can you expect from a one party state except corruption?