Goodwin Says Concerns About Nepotism May Punish Relatives with “Reverse Discrimination”

KSFY’s Beth Warden reports that last week’s firing of State Penitentiary warden Justin Roemmich and two other Corrections officials coincides with “renewed concern over nepotism inside the state’s prison system….” The only specific instance of possible nepotism Warden cites is the pewter parachute former Corrections Secretary Kellie Wasko got after her 2025 resignation, the advisory position Hughes County created for Wasko to work at the county jail her husband administers.

Representative Tim Goodwin (R-30/Rapid City), who is seeking reëlection, runs curious interference for whatever nepotism may be taking place in Corrections and elsewhere in state government:

“Well, nepotism is always something that you’ve gotta watch, but it’s not illegal,” Goodwin said. “I mean, if your brother-in-law happens to be the most qualified person for the job, it’s actually reverse discrimination if that person doesn’t get it” [Beth Warden, “Lawmakers React to Firing of South Dakota Penitentiary Officials amid Renewed Nepotism Concerns,” KSFY, 2026.08.10].

Goodwin doesn’t just shrug at the nepotism; he tries to insulate relatives who might draw scrutiny for winning lucrative state jobs by saying the scrutinizers might be the meanies.

Reverse discrimination—that’s a popular phrase—or, more accurately, dog whistle—among the beneficiaries of privilege who are trying to fight the balancing of the social scales and distract us from real problems.

Tim has soaked so long in his Trumpist hot tub that the steam is clouding his vision. Sensible organizations, public and private, ban the hiring of relatives of current supervisors. That’s not reverse discrimination; that’s a bulwark against corruption. Instead of making excuses for corrupt privilege, Representative Goodwin should be saying, “Nepotism is bad, and we should root it out of state government.”