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Noem Pays Joy $60K to Twirl Her Batons; Manhart Starts at $46K in SOS Office

By Cory Allen Heidelberger on 2023-01-12

Governor Kristi Noem has updated her staff page to feature her new press secretary, Amelia Joy. Team Noem dedicates one sentence to Joy’s education and two to her baton-twirling:

Office of the Governor, bio of new press secretary Amelia Joy, retrieved 2023.01.12.
Office of the Governor, bio of new press secretary Amelia Joy, from Governor’s staff webpage, retrieved 2023.01.12.

Baton-twirling apparently doesn’t count much in the salary formula: the state’s payroll website says Joy is getting $60,000 a year for waging war on South Dakota reporters on the Governor’s behalf. That’s a notch below the $61,500 Noem’s first press secretary, Kristin Wileman, was making when she left the job three years ago. Chief of communications Ian Fury is making $135,000 a year… but his bio says he “competed in collegiate speech and debate”, so yay for the earning power of debaters!

In other government salary news, election denier and election law violator Logan Manhart is making $46,000 a year as part of Secretary of State Monae Johnson’s fresh staff. While serving in an office where non-partisanship is essential, Manhart continues to tweet partisan attacks. I am not aware of whether Manhart has any experience in either baton-twirling or debate.

Published in South Dakota

13 Comments

  1. Mark Anderson 2023-01-12 07:00

    Let the reign of stupidity begin. However, I will not allow myself to use dumb blonde jokes. It’s a woke Hillsdale thing, the college that rejects facts.

  3. Loren 2023-01-12 09:34

    So, she is educated in “political speak” and knows how to spin? Guess she’ll be worth every penny to the Kristi administration.

  4. DaveFN 2023-01-12 11:59

    Demerits for not knowing how to spell his title on Twitter:

    Logan Manhart
    @ManhartLogan
    South Dakota Secratery of States office. Election Integrity. Views are my own.
    South Dakotalinktr.ee/LoganmanhartJoined November 2018

  5. Vi Kingman 2023-01-12 12:59

    Dave, his views suck

  6. e platypus onion 2023-01-12 14:03

    Regional analytics coordinator? More than enough regional anals in South Duhkota to coordinate.

  7. Tom 2023-01-12 15:57

    Strike up the band! Hope she’s available for Hobo Day parade.

  8. larry kurtz 2023-01-12 16:47

    Ms. Joy kinda has that Tomi Lahren Aryan Nation cold dead fingers vibe.

  9. TimA 2023-01-13 01:48

    At $46K he probably won’t be around too long, or is that still a “really good wage” for government work?

  10. Mark Anderson 2023-01-13 08:44

    Well Tom, they are national champions and that attracts champions. St. Petersburg for Pierre? That’s not worth twirling for.

  11. leslie 2023-01-13 10:06

    DFN: that thread is not connected to reality. Right wing “religious” beliefs.

  12. Bonnie B Fairbank 2023-01-13 18:16

    Love, love, LOVE her costume and facial mask. She’s a drum majorette, drag queen, and a Disney villianess working for Kristi Lynn. Sometimes SD government can’t get any worse.
    But this is the greatest state economy ever.

  13. Arlo Blundt 2023-01-14 11:26

    Oh My, the Noem Administration is manned by some very serious amateurs.

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