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GAB Subpoenas DCI for Noem/State Plane Investigation File

The Government Accountability Board appears to be curious, like the rest of us, about how the Division of Criminal Investigation can look into the Governor’s use of the state plane to fly to personal and political events and not find enough evidence to support charges. We should all be curious about why the Government Accountability Board has to issue a subpoena to get the DCI to send them its report:

The Government Accountability Board issued a subpoena for the Division of Criminal Investigation relating to its investigation into Gov. Kristi Noem’s alleged personal use of the state airplane, during a Monday afternoon meeting in Sioux Falls.

The action comes after the Hughes County State’s Attorney found there were “no facts to support a criminal prosecution under current law” on Oct. 25 and returned the complaint to the GAB. It’s the latest in a tango that has lasted almost two years.

The board, made up of four retired judges, said during the hour-long meeting they had requested the DCI report, but had not received it prior to the meeting, leading to the 3-0 vote in favor of the subpoena. Most of the meeting was held behind closed doors [Annie Todd, “Ethics Board Subpoenas DCI for Investigation Report into If Gov. Kristi Noem Misused the State Plane,” Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 2022.11.14].

How are these arms of government not communicating with each other? Are we not all one big happy family? Or is everyone at DCI too busy writing love letters to Marty Jackley in hopes of getting promotions?

21 Comments

  1. Jake 2022-11-15 11:37

    Good to see that the GAB sees that there might be a “there” there!

  2. P. Aitch 2022-11-15 14:14

    Hughes County is only your state’s twelfth biggest and Hughes County is undoubtedly very politically biased. Is there a reason why Hughes County is the go-to answer in this investigation? Shouldn’t Minnehaha County, as the largest, be the County State’s Attorney to determine culpability of your Governor? The largest county has the most people wronged if a wrong has occurred.

  3. grudznick 2022-11-15 14:18

    The County of Hughes has the most people who have gotten and who might get rides in the airplane. grudznick rules the County of Hughes is the appropriate referral.

  4. P. Aitch 2022-11-15 14:47

    But, grudznichts rules is the folly of fools. #RhymeThyme

  5. Donald Pay 2022-11-15 15:08

    There’s not a lot of crime in the County of Hughes that doesn’t have something to do with the Legislature or Governor’s office, or other state institutions. Oh, there’s the usual hooliganism, but that can be handled by the local constabulary. DCI is not a respected institution, because it rarely, if ever, bothers to hold in check the criminality of those who sign their paychecks or are in some way associated with those that sign their paychecks. Back in the 50s this institution had about 5 employees for the whole state. Maybe it’s time to put this institution in the hands of the GAB, where the folks seem to know what they should be doing.

  6. Bill Stocker 2022-11-15 15:46

    Didn’t the North Dakota DCI investigate the Ravsnborg mess? To further prevent the appearance of impropriety, how about they investigate? Too bad that won’t happen because Kristi knows she’s guilty as sin.

  7. Kurt Evans 2022-11-15 16:28

    Jason Ravnsborg has continued to indicate that Governor Noem’s illegal misuse of the state plane to raise her national political profile at public expense was deliberate and impeachable. He submitted his report to the Government Accountability Board.

    Mark Vargo’s hand-picked special prosecutor says no charges are warranted.

    Cory writes:

    We should all be curious about why the Government Accountability Board has to issue a subpoena to get the DCI to send them its report… How are these arms of government not communicating with each other? Are we not all one big happy family? Or is everyone at DCI too busy writing love letters to Marty Jackley in hopes of getting promotions?

    Marty Jackley will probably end up resigning under the threat of impeachment if the general public ever learns the extent of his involvement in promoting Craig Price’s preposterous “reconstruction” of the Ravnsborg crash and having the duly elected attorney general replaced with Mark Vargo.

  8. larry kurtz 2022-11-15 16:38

    That Jason Ravnsborg hasn’t been court-martialed for violating the Oath of Commissioned Officers for perjury remains a mystery.

  9. larry kurtz 2022-11-15 16:45

    If Jason Ravnsborg had standing in Noem’s alleged crimes he’d present his evidence to a judge.

  10. larry kurtz 2022-11-15 16:48

    If Mrs. Noem crossed state lines during the commission of a crime why isn’t the US Attorneys for the District of South Dakota involved?

  11. Arlo Blundt 2022-11-15 17:14

    The GAB is a curious institution, founded by law, passed by the legislature after the scandals of the Rounds and Daugaard administrations, spawned by the Departments of Development and Education were buried under the carpet in the AG’s office. Four retired judges were appointed to investigate impropriety in the Executive Branch. One, Gilbertson, has excused himself from the present investigation as he was appointed by Governor Noem. The Chair is a female, retired judge, originally from Madison, with a sterling reputation for judicial fidelity. The two remaining members, Glasknap (also from the Madison area) and Kean, (from Sioux Falls) have had careers which have been beyond reproach. They are charged with investigating the impropriety and reporting to the Attorney General for prosecution.Whether the report is then deposited in a political black hole, as was the report regarding the Governor’s obvious use of nepotism to advance her daughter’s nascent career, or, a very unlikely event, given the politics, the AG appoints a prosecutor to pursue an outcome in court, the GAB will have fulfilled its obligation under the law. This responsibility and the upholding of the rule of law, are being held sacred by the Judges. They are to be admired and supported.

  12. Bonnie B Fairbank 2022-11-15 17:16

    I did point out in an earlier post this year our God Fearing Christian Governor had 1086 airmiles attributed to “her” turboprop, but they were all within South Dakota.
    I even did the math, showing how far her greed and theft could take her freely to major cities around the United States.
    I do not remember a single contributor at this site commenting on my calculations.
    Am I right or wrong, Cory?

  13. Kurt Evans 2022-11-15 17:47

    Arlo Blundt writes:

    The two remaining members [of the Government Accountability Boaed], Glasknap …

    That’s David Gienapp. Great, great guy.

  14. grudznick 2022-11-15 18:13

    Ms. Fairbank is generally good at math. grudznick comments that her calculations are probably accurate.

  15. P. Aitch 2022-11-15 18:17

    Boaed much, Kurtus? 🤣🤣🤣

  16. Arlo Blundt 2022-11-15 20:59

    Mr. Evans–Sorry for getting Judge Gienapp’s name misspelled.I do not know him, but have heard several Lawyers be very complimentary toward him and his running of a court room.

  17. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2022-11-16 06:08

    I don’t want to get too optimistic, given the GAB’s curious and secretive behavior so far. They may be subpoenaing the DCI info simply as a matter of form, or maybe out of pique that DCI forgot to send them the documents by some deadline.

    Bill makes a fair point: if we wanted a fair investigation, why didn’t we engage North Dakota’s DCI or some other really outside group to investigate?

  18. Kurt Evans 2022-11-16 12:38

    Cory writes:

    I don’t want to get too optimistic, given the GAB’s curious and secretive behavior so far.

    Aren’t they just following the statutes?

    They may be subpoenaing the DCI info simply as a matter of form, or maybe out of pique that DCI forgot to send them the documents by some deadline.

    “Kristi for Governor Issues Statement on Government Accountability Board’s Illegal Action”:
    https://dakotawarcollege.com/kristi-for-governor-issues-statement-on-government-accountability-boards-illegal-action/

    If they were going to act out of pique, wouldn’t they have done so after that obnoxious press release?

    Bill makes a fair point: if we wanted a fair investigation, why didn’t we engage North Dakota’s DCI[*] or some other really outside group to investigate?

    *BCI

    That’s a reasonable question, but the North Dakota BCI is rife with arrogance and incompetence, and it seems to uncritically accept every word uttered by Governor Noem’s DPS secretary Craig Price.

  19. Mark Anderson 2022-11-16 13:53

    Come on guys, how will she ever get to be VP. She’s probably all ready regretting that she was at the Governor’s event in Orlando, on the Future of the GOP. Governor Sununu insulted Trump while she was sitting with Sununu on stage. Did she even make it to Mar-a-Lago for the announcement on the REAL future of the GOP?
    I’m sure she’s got the record for states visited while governor anyway, and travel time. At least that’s something. She’s done so much for herself while governor. It’s trickle down time for you So. Daks, be grateful.

  20. Jake 2022-11-16 16:56

    Perhaps our next AG had no opposition in his party for office for one solid reason, eh??

    The “Pursuit of Justice” doesn’t ever start with the one being ‘pursued.’ They are usually the “Obstructers of Justice!”
    Who is being ‘pursued’, eh?

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