If you’re not familiar with the candidates running in District 32 House Republican Primary race, There’s the incumbent State Representative and local businessman Steve Duffy. There’s Brook Kaufman, the CEO of Visit Rapid City, and then there’s the other guy, John Robert James.. who we know little to nothing about.
He does have a website up, and his campaign website talks about him being a Certified Financial Planner:
After college, John started a financial planning business and became a Certified Financial Planner practitioner. While growing his business, John volunteered with Plant A Seed Institute and mentored young men during college and their early career.
John serves as an advisory board member on the Pennington County 4-H Extension Board. He has helped with many 4-H activities including chaperoning at the Summer Youth Camp at Storm Mountain.
And there’s a Linked In page that’s up, that appears to note him as a self-employed financial planner, specifically listing him as a CFP with JRJ Planning from Aug 2017-present.
But, there’s that other thing.
If you’re searching on the Internet for John Robert James of Rapid City and financial planning, you also can’t help but stumble across another entry about him being a Certified Financial Planner. Where the Certified Financial Planner Board took specific action against a John R. James of Rapid City:
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) announced today public sanctions against 13 current or former CFP® professionals or candidates for CFP® certification, effective immediately or on the date noted in each case. Public sanctions taken by CFP Board, in order of increasing severity, include Public Censures, Suspensions, Temporary Bars, Permanent Bars and Revocations of the right to use the CFP® marks.
and..
In certain circumstances, such as when a CFP® professional is in default due to failure to acknowledge receipt of a Notice of Investigation or file an Answer, CFP Board staff must deliver an Administrative Order of Suspension, Temporary Bar, Revocation or Permanent Bar. Administrative Orders are subject to appeal.
and..
SOUTH DAKOTA
John R. James, CFP® (Rapid City, South Dakota): In September 2022, the Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (Commission) and Mr. James entered into a Consent Order in which Mr. James agreed that CFP Board would issue a Public Censure. In the Consent Order, Mr. James consented to findings that he was convicted for Driving Under the Influence in 2013 and Hit and Run in 2016, both misdemeanors. Mr. James consented to findings that this conduct reflected adversely on himself, the CFP® marks and the profession, in violation of Rule 6.5 of the Rules of Conduct. In addition, due to his failure to report these convictions, the California Department of Insurance issued a 2017 Decision and Order Adopting Proposed Decision wherein it revoked Mr. James’ California insurance license. Based on this license revocation, Mr. James received a statutory disqualification from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and subsequent termination from his firm. Mr. James consented to findings that this conduct represented a failure to comply with applicable laws, rules and regulations governing his professional services, in violation of Rule 4.3 of the Rules of Conduct. The Commission issued to Mr. James a Public Censure.
So, despite what the campaign website alludes to.. that whole financial planner thing seems a bit maybe at the moment? They were less happy about the driving offenses happening, and more upset that there was a sin of omission about the whole thing. And they spanked him hard.
And I’m not sure he learned his lesson. After omitting important information to his regulatory authority and getting in trouble for it, on his campaign website he talks about the financial planner thing and nothing else.
Despite the fact we have independent confirmation on what he does for a living coming from the candidate in a document that not a lot of people go back to review, which is the candidates’s statement of financial interest. This is where under oath they declare their occupation, and well as where they receive their source of funds that contribute to his family’s gross income, which in this case appears to be illuminating.
Or snack friendly. You choose the term:
As I’m reading that statement of financial interest for District 32 House candidate John Robert James, despite alluding to being a financial planner on his campaign website, the form where the rubber hits the road says that he works in hospitality, and is an employee of.. BDubs, LLC?
BDubs, as in Buffalo Wild Wings?
Everybody has to have a job, but the fact that a candidate for the South Dakota Legislature talks about being a financial planner on his website, but the official form noting “BDubs, LLC” leaves me scratching my head, and raising a flag about the difference between what’s strongly suggested in his campaign materials, versus what he swore was “a true, correct and complete representation of myself” to the State of South Dakota.
And while all work is honorable, when you’re a candidate for public office, sins of omission do count against candidates, Especially when they try to give the appearance of doing one thing, but when you dig below the surface they’re actually doing another.
Just ask Jolene Loetscher how claiming to be in biotech went for her.
Here are the wings you ordered along with my brochure about some completely unregulated Bitcoin investment opportunities. Notice how my brochure stands out after using my Crayola crayons at home?
Would this be another case of a candidate who couldn’t clean up his old state of California and now wants to run for office to tell us what to do?
Good research on this. I don’t know what JRJ Planning is but it doesn’t show up on the SEC site – neither does he individually. Probably means it really doesn’t exist, or it did for a while but he found the Bdub career to be more lucrative. While there isn’t a blatant lie on the website, he isn’t being entirely truthful. Would have been better to not even mention that part of his career — when you try to brag about it, then it become fair game. Had he left just owned the fact that he’s in the hospitality business, nobody probably mentions anything.
Now everybody will spend legislative forums asking him about secret menu items, and why half the time when you ask for blue cheese dressing at BDubs, they bring you ranch. Blue cheese dressing should be the default for buffalo wings.
Criticize the man for misleading the public, but let’s not job shame him. It seems what you are suggesting that people who work in the service industry are not worthy of public office and that should not be the case.
Most likely another Dakota Dumpsterfire PAC candidate. Thanks Toby Doeden!
Haven’t you ever seen Adam Sandler’s Big Daddy? HE’S ON A 5 YEAR PLAN, PAT.
He’s at a career crossroads due to his inability to control his alcohol intake and stay in his lane. Nothing terribly unusual about this. Yet, in a time when your professional life is in a definite transitional period, is this the time to be seeking election to the Legislature?? This fellow seems to have an active fantasy life.