The good news is that Kristi Noem hasn’t been bullying anyone in her office all week. The bad news is that that’s because she hasn’t been in her office. Instead, our part-time Governor is off gallivanting around the country again, visiting at least four* different states in the last four days, with not one of those trips including any documented official state business.
Saturday Noem was in Michigan and in Florida, raising her political profile at Republican Party events.
Yesterday Noem was in California, playing cowgirl at the Reagan Ranch and doing fake news on Newsmax.
And in between, on Sunday night, Noem popped into a charity dinner at a Las Vegas Benihana where her close chum and political coach Corey Lewandowski was allegedly being scum toward rich Idaho Republican donor Trashelle Odom:
Odom was one of about two dozen major Republican donors at the Sunday dinner, which was held at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino’s Benihana restaurant. Odom was seated next to Lewandowski during the gathering, part of a four-day conference held by Victoria’s Voice Foundation, a charity devoted to combating substance abuse. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, to whom Lewandowski serves as an informal adviser, was also among the dinner’s attendees.
According to a statement provided by an Odom family attorney, Lewandowski allegedly remarked on the size of his genitalia, described his sexual performance and showed Odom his hotel room key. After the incident, Odom told people that Lewandowski repeatedly spoke about sex while using expletives.
Attendees also observed Lewandowski growing physical with Odom.
Odom left the room but was soon followed by Lewandowski, who remarked that she had a “nice ass,” according to the statement from her attorney and another attendee who heard the comment. Lewandowski also “threw his drink at Mrs. Odom, and it landed all over her shoe and the bottom of her dress,” and “called her stupid,” her attorney stated [Alex Isenstadt, “Trump Donor: Corey Lewandowski Made Unwanted Sexual Advances,” Politico, 2021.09.29].
Victoria’s Voice—oh yeah, that’s the outfit run by that Florida socialite Noem likes palling around with on the runway instead of talking to South Dakota’s own drug addiction awareness campaigners. But let’s not get distracted.
Odom says Corey, lewd and frisky, followed her out of the restaurant and continued to harass her at the hotel’s bar. Odom evidently has witnesses who protected her from the creep that night and who could testify against him now:
Odom then left the restaurant for an after-dinner party in the hotel’s lavish Verona Sky Villa, where witnesses described a chaotic scene. One person who interacted with Odom recalled seeing her in tears and pleading for help. By this time, she had been joined by her sister and stepson, who had accompanied her to Las Vegas.
Attendees said Odom retreated to the other side of the bar with her sister and stepson when Lewandowski came to the villa. Lewandowski followed her, at which point several other attendees tried to shield Odom from him, shepherding her to another part of the bar, according to three people who were present. According to Odom’s attorney, “Corey then moved around the bar with them” and continued “to try to touch Mrs. Odom” [Isenstadt, 2021.09.29].
Yuck! Governor Noem, is this really the kind of jerk you want on your campaign team? He seems a little too eager to handle your potential donors.
And hey, First Gentleman, Mr. Noem, is this really the kind of creep you want standing shoulder-to-shoulder with your wife at far-off hotels when she’s on those long out-of-state campaign trips?
Governor Noem, come home soon, where we know you’ll be safe from that skeezy Lewandowski character… and where maybe you can get some real work done.
*Update 16:03 CDT: I revised this post and headline to include Florida in Noem’s hectic travel schedule over the last few days after finding Noem’s September 25 Twitter pic of her appearance on the National Federation of Republican Women stage that afternoon.
Hmmmm, interesting stuff.
The right-wing website (apparently legit) “American Greatness” quotes unnamed sources indicating Noem and Lewandowski are “having an extramarital affair.”
“There are members of Congress close to Mar-a-Lago who have called the affair ‘an open secret’ and worried that about Noem’s viability as a national candidate and within the movement,” a source familiar with the matter told American Greatness.
One C&L staffer wonders if the DeSantis campaign planted this possibly true story, which makes sense given it’s sourced as “close to Mar-A-Lago.” Might be Gaetz or some other Florida Congressman who wants to collapse Noem’s Vice-Presidential trial balloons at the outset.
Cory, since I’ve never detected a molecule of decency, intelligence, kindness, or compassion in Kristi Lynn, I’ve occasionally wondered if the First Gentleman and the Snow Queen from Aberdeen even see each other. Yeah,more of None Of My Business.
‘They’ are starting to put the heat on Kristi. She can take it. I don’t like affair rumors like this, and I truly hope they’re false.
Jerry, I think Ravnsborg planted the story with “American Greatness” as tit-for-tat for Noem’s releasing his interrogation and investigation records, and asking for his resignation & impeachment. It is possible that he’s been harboring some animus for that and decided what’s good for the gander is good for the goose…
See, Jerry, that conservative website running the adultery story (to which the Governor appears to be responding with her official Governor’s Twitter account) only has unnamed sources and no evidence. I’ve heard adultery rumors before but haven’t run them as news because no one would go on the record with evidence.
But Trashelle Odom is on the record about Lewandowski’s harassment of her in Las Vegas Sunday. She’s putting her name out there, and she has witnesses. That’s news. That story is good reason for Kristi Noem to get out in front of the news, disavow and condemn Lewandowski for being scum, and assure the voters and her donors that Lewandowski has no involvement with her campaign.
Ah, but Eve, the adultery story cites unnamed sources, including one who says members of Congress who’ve been hanging around Mar-a-Lago call the alleged affair an “open secret”. That Florida connection suggests to Crooks and Liars that the source/saboteur is more likely the DeSantis camp.
Ravnsborg isn’t that smart, and he wouldn’t have been around Noem and Lewandowski enough to have those goods, if there are such goods to be had.
But Lewandowski is a proven predator. Noem better think about the good of her campaign and disavow him immediately. Why wouldn’t she disavow his awful behavior?
But wouldn’t Noem’s part take ethics and morals which she does not appear to have?
I gotta laugh. “Raising her political profile” is a very Shakespearean turn of phrase. Yeah, Lew has been Noem’s “escort” for some time. Big genitalia. Sure, sure. Big dick is more like it. If you’re bragging about it, you likely three inches short of a half a foot. Kristi knows, but she ain’t telling. Not sure if this will pass the censors.
Democrats = safe sex
Republicans = cheap sex
Lie down with dogs, get up with fleas.
Is “Trashelle” her actual first name? Lordy. More appropriate as a drag queen nom de plume. (Maybe it does make sense, after all.)
I think it would be pronounced Tray-shell. I hope.
There is one right thing to do in this case and a million wrong things to do. The right thing is to cut the predator loose IMMEDIATELY. Anything else is the wrong thing. Any bets on what she does? I know where my money is at.
Well…this running for President is on a fast race track for a gal who grew up driving a tractor. Lewandowski is up to the challenge fueled by alcohol and God knows what other chemicals, reved up and ready to rumble. He is apparently persistent in his pursuit of comfort. I am willing to take the Governor at her word with the admonition “If you don’t want a haircut, don’t sit in the barber’s chair “.
Trashelle? You can forgive Corey L for his fumbling. Good lord!
Good admonition, Mr. Blundt. Barber chairs are no place to dawdle around if you aren’t ready for a good clipping.
How soon magats forget what their side did to Kamala Harris and HRC.
“These rumors are total garbage and a disgusting lie,” Noem tweeted on Wednesday afternoon. “These old, tired attacks on conservative women are based on a falsehood that we can’t achieve anything without a man’s help.”
Donald, Lewandowski’s behavior certainly wouldn’t get past the censor… Or past any test of the family values that the candidates he campaigns for supposedly promote.
Ska, let’s see if Kristi brings Corey here to go pheasant hunting again.
By the way: four states in four days? How again does that fulfill any of the Governor’s constitutional duties?
Mike, first, it’s important to note that Kristi is ignoring the real evidence scandal of Lewandowski‘s bad behavior toward other women. Second, as for the rumor about her, nothing In the article alleging infidelity offered any hint that somehow Kristi Noem is only getting ahead because of a man. Her response sounds a lot like a speaker swatting at arguments echoing inside her head and not the actual statements being made out in the press.
Cory
Pheasant hunting in a Cheney sort of way?
COVID Kristi: Your 15 minutes are now done.
Washington Post
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem dismisses conservative website’s claims of extramarital affair with former Trump adviser
By Felicia Sonmez and Josh Dawsey
September 29, 2021
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/kristi-noem-affair-allegations-lewandowski/2021/09/29/859ad8da-2154-11ec-9309-b743b79abc59_story.html
South Dakota Gov. Kristi L. Noem (R) on Wednesday dismissed a conservative media outlet’s claim that she is having an extramarital affair with Corey Lewandowski, a former Trump adviser who is also advising Noem.
“These rumors are total garbage and a disgusting lie,” Noem said in a tweet. “These old, tired attacks on conservative women are based on a falsehood that we can’t achieve anything without a man’s help. I love Bryon. I’m proud of the God-fearing family we’ve raised together. Now I’m getting back to work.”
A conservative website, American Greatness, published a piece Tuesday claiming that, according to “multiple” sources, Noem has been having an affair with Lewandowski “for months.” The website did not identify any of the sources.
Lewandowski was Donald Trump’s first presidential campaign manager. He was fired by the campaign in 2016 but remains part of the former president’s inner circle and runs the pro-Trump Make America Great Again Action super PAC.
Noem and Lewandowski have traveled extensively together across the country for political events, and he has promoted her to members of the media. At one event in January, they were spotted partying together late in a hotel bar.
Separately, a Trump donor is accusing Lewandowski of repeatedly groping her and making unwanted sexual comments at a charity event in Las Vegas last week.
“He repeatedly touched me inappropriately, said vile and disgusting things to me, stalked me, and made me feel violated and fearful,” the donor, Trashelle Odom, said in a statement provided to The Washington Post.
“Corey bragged multiple times about how powerful he is, and how he can get anyone elected, inferring he was the reason Trump became President,” she added. “Corey claimed that he controls access to the former president. He said he is in charge of the donors and the Super PAC. … He also made it clear that if he was crossed, he has the power to destroy anyone and ruin their lives.”
The accusations were first reported by Politico.
John Odom, Odom’s husband, said that he wants “accountability now” from Lewandowski and that the couple is exploring their legal options “to make sure he cannot harm anyone else.”
“Corey called me on Monday evening,” John Odom said in a statement. “He sounded distraught and scared. He said he had been intoxicated. He was sorry for his actions, wanted to know how he could make it go away, and that he would do anything to make it right with Trashelle and our family.”
The Odoms’ statements were provided by a public relations person representing them. The couple themselves could not be reached for comment.
David Chesnoff, a Las Vegas-based attorney for Lewandowski, said in an email Wednesday afternoon: “Accusations and rumors appear to be morphing by the minute and we will not dignify them with a further response.”
Noem, who is considered a potential 2024 GOP vice-presidential contender, has recently come under scrutiny for a meeting she organized for her daughter and the state employee charged with leading the agency that moved to deny her application to become a certified real estate appraiser. The meeting prompted allegations of abuse of power among some state lawmakers, and South Dakota’s attorney general, Jason Ravnsborg, is reviewing the matter.
It’s not clear what steps Ravnsborg plans to take, and his office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Post.
Noem reportedly organized a meeting in her office on July 27, 2020, to discuss “appraiser certification procedures” that included her daughter Kassidy Noem-Peters and Sherry Bren, the head of the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation’s appraiser certification program; Bren’s supervisor; and South Dakota Labor Secretary Marcia Hultman.
While Noem’s daughter secured her certification months later, in November 2020, Bren says she was subsequently pushed to retire in a conversation with Hultman. That’s according to an age-discrimination complaint Bren eventually filed against the Department of Labor and Regulation.
Bren settled with the state for $200,000 on March 31, but the department did not admit fault and she agreed not to disparage it in public, according to a copy of the complaint shared by South Dakota Public Broadcasting.
Tedious familiarity is like déjà vu all over again.
https://madvilletimes.com/2014/07/05/on-the-catwalk-gop-spinner-attacks-schultz-kurtz-says-krebs-ratted-noems-adultery/
The twitter replies to her rambling denial are gold hahahaha I love trolls (when they are against things I hate) hahaha
ArloBlundt. Small point here, but Kristi Lynn NEVER spent a nanosecond on a tractor seat in her whole lying, fictitious, miserable life. Seriously think about it–she’s an entitled, spoiled, narcissistic tw*t whose father died from being an extra special stupid person and she’s been milking it for her whole career.
On the other hand, I’ve driven John Deeres, Fords. and Massey Fergersuns. I never pretended to be a “rancher.” My father told me when I was young that ranchers were merely failed farmers.
Ms. Fairbank, it is that very screetchy and absolutist NDS that causes you libbies to be so oft wrong.
https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/181026151748-kristi-noem-drives-tractor-super-169.jpg
That’s a nanosecond.
Great déjà vu link, Lar.
I’m still game to feed you some of those sausages by hand just like the old days, but the best part of that old blogging is that Mr. Gibilisco was participating in it.
That South Dakota Republicans are watching their show mare coming up lame in the critical race makes white replacement theory look like so much trailer trash.
Mercury’s in retrograde.
That negatively affects communication.
Just look at what’s happened to Kristi so far and it’s only the first of three weeks.
Ronnie Reagan had Nancy to insist he shut up and watch, during retro.
Worked for him and it’ll work for you, Governor.
Oh, Christ Almighty, Grudznuts, just GO AWAY. That’s the Queen of Covid-19 in an amusement ride.
Apparently, the Queen of Covid-19 is an amusement ride.
Do you have the video? If you had the video, we could decide for ourselves in context.
Epstein trafficked in kids and did really terrible things to them.
Do Epstein next.
Kristi must think staying out of South Dakota will make these troubles go away. I see on Twitter that she was in Ohio today campaigning
Ms. Fairbank, having been proven wrong yet again by ol’ grudznick, I do understand your emotional lashing out.
However grudznick has been voted the most loved Conservative with Common Sense at this here blogging place 5 years running, so try and show a little respect.
Nikki Haley and now NOem, what is it with these married governors going after their hired help?
if Kristi don’t like hanging out with a drunk with a big dick she oughta come out and say so, otherwise OH
DID Y’ALL SEE BOOKER IS GOING TO DISCIPLEHOOD TRAINERSHIP SCHOOL???
https://twitter.com/govkristinoem/status/1443168394174476292
John Dale, do you have video of epstein committing any crimes? Idiot.
Kristi can keep blaming the media and everyone else all she wants. But, the FACTS remain:
1) Noem called a special meeting to meet with Labor Secretary Marcia Hultman, Sherry Bren, and included Noem’s daughter in that meeting.
2) The meeting was in regards to Noem’s daughter not getting a real estate appraisal license (certification).
3) Four months later, Noem’s daughter receives her certification and Sherry Bren is forced to retire by Secretary Hultman.
4) In March 2021, Bren is awarded $200,000 in state money, termed as a “retirement settlement” after she signs a non-disparaging agreement.
Those are the FACTS that remain at the present time. The media has been trying to get more answers from Governor Noem at no avail. Instead, Kristi continues to tweet and blame the media and “the system” for her actions in initiating that meeting. This is NOT going away until Kristi comes forward and answers questions in a straight-forward manner.
Hey don’t birds of a feather flock together? And if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, hangs around with other ducks, starts looking like a ducks, well it’s probably a duck.
When a person like Noem is getting paid with tax payer monies to do nothing, flaunts a Christian persona of righteousness, hangs and TAKES ADVICE from a perverted lemming who worships the King Pervert Trump, the news should be all over the telly. She’s always been a phony but now she’s a phony with our money and her unlimited power.
Face it, the John Dales of this state love her Trumpian ways and obviously respect this Lewandowsky pervert. I’m surrounded by this a holes.
The boy is just learning from his master in the trumpian ways of the world. He attracts the best.
Boy oh boy America’s Governor has backed herself into a crap full of interesting PR. Leading with your behind with a serial behind grabber creates questionable actions. The inbred Republican running the state seems to be standing with their hands deep in their pockets or skirts as their Queen Gov is catching fire and might go down in a blaze of shame.
Queen Gov aka America’s Governor now the Bully Governor has taken to squeezing state employees for the good of the family. Surprise, there was time taking to sit down with the state CREW to ensure the message was clear. It worked. Now SD has another one of those much-needed dumbbell-certified appraiser. This is the Noem way, then back to the skyways, after 45 chummed up to her.
The Bully Governor’s actions like the follies with the “big” Washington advisor are known only to a few dozen or so know who are prone to gossip. It is hoped during the follies the state troopers were nearby to provide that personalized “protection” to prevent mishaps or worst?
So, is the AG going to look into abuse allegations? Adult child abuse might be one. As of now, the poor defenseless adult child thinks she is something she is not, kinda like the mom. Or the Bully Governor pretending to govern while jetting around with the “big” advisor could be another abuse allegation to be explored by the AG. Or maybe the AG can look into allegations of governance by the inbred state Republicans several months a year before they gather to boot him from their sight.
Will SD voters save themselves in November 2022 from the gaggle of inbreeds? The state is led by a RINO or two in Washington, a queen bee attracting sexually active worker bees, a distracted AG driver, inbred legislators with nonfunctional moral compasses, and a group from the other party that cannot win an election even if they were the only name on the ballot.
Vaccine up, mask up, and keep washing those dirty little fingers.
Did Lewandowski try grabbing Odom by the p****e? Apparently America won’t hold that against a man (even running for President). It seems that Lewandowski error was in not following the roadmap of sexual harassment pre-approved as acceptable by MAGA leadership.
Well…its never pretty when people “touch bottom” in public and Corey Lewd made a great splatter at the banquet in Vegas. Too much alcohol, too many pep pills, to much “just a little help getting to sleep” The Governor hired this guy with big money to “manage” her campaign which has consisted mostly of rolling open his Roladex of Republican true believers to put the touch on elderly donors and scheduling four or five appearances a month for the Governor before receptive audiences. Nor a bad gig but, he couldn’t keep it together. These affairs might explain the sudden resignation of Maggie Seidel to work in her Pierre flower garden. Ms. Seidel probably made a very sane decision. Meanwhile, Corey Lewandowski has made a public apology to the woman’s husband, and, to salvage his career, needs to check into a spin dry. It will be the best decision he has made in his life.
Well Arlo, he didn’t learn much from trump who would have said, she’s not that pretty, I wouldn’t have done that.
RST, Arlo, O and Mark, I would like to see some of some our bloggers call out and hold our state media to a higher standard and get back to digging on the Bren case. There is one blogger who is running with the affair gossip to help Kristi elicit sympathy again and rile up her base. I won’t name the blogger because you probably all know who I’m talking about. But, it doesn’t matter because Cory and the South Dakota Standard bloggers can counter that guy who keeps pushing spin for the establishment in this state, allowing their corruption to continue.