Here’s another one that wasn’t on anyone’s bingo card for 2024. Former Minnehaha County States Attorney Aaron McGowan is running to be a State’s Attorney again… and the former Democrat is trying his luck as a Republican this time, and instead of running where he lives, he’s trying his luck in Lake County:
Aaron McGowan has filed candidacy for Lake County State’s Attorney, challenging a Republican incumbent in the upcoming June primary election.
The former Democrat served as Minnehaha County State’s Attorney from 2009 to 2019, when he stepped down following a months-long scandal involving workplace misconduct allegations and a 911 police call to his Sioux Falls home that was shielded from the public.
and..
Those news reports prompted Gov. Kristi Noem to call for an investigation into McGowan by the DCI. The agency would go on to issue a report outlining multiple unexplained absences, accusations of drunkenness, inappropriate messages being sent to employees and an instance where McGowan offered a female employee a day off in exchange for her buying alcohol.
In case you were looking for more background, there was far more extensive coverage before he resigned from office and was given a $35,000 parachute by the Minnehaha County Commission to go away:
But multiple Minnehaha County employees have told the Argus Leader on background that McGowan was under investigation for workplace misconduct. The investigation was sparked by a separate investigation by Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg, which was released in October. Besides finding unexplained absences and accusations of drunkenness, the Ravnsborg investigation included an incident involving a female employee in McGowan’s office.
and..
“The female employee was interviewed and stated that McGowan did give her the day off, she bought the bottle of alcohol, he came over for a few hours and made her feel uncomfortable at times, but then he left on a bicycle,” the attorney general report said.
After his debacle serving as Minnehaha County State’s Attorney, the story has gotten even crazier.
While the former Democrat McGowan changed parties from Democrat to Republican in the last week or two to run in the primary in Lake County against Lake County State’s Attorney Wendy Kloeppner, he hasn’t changed residences, as he’s registered to run as a candidate for Lake County State’s Attorney, from an apartment in Minnehaha County, according to the Secretary of State.
And looking at live voter data with the Secretary of State, that address in Sioux Falls certainly isn’t anywhere in Lake County. It shows his residence as Minnehaha County:
At least at this time, McGowan can’t vote for himself in the election, because he’s not a Lake County resident.
In some of our rural counties, there are State’s Attorneys who run from more populated areas to serve those counties that are starved for legal representation. Hence the recruitment efforts for attorneys to serve in rural areas. There’s even a law on the books:
7-16-31. Residency requirements for state’s attorney in counties with low population.
In any county with a population of less than five thousand persons, no state’s attorney is disqualified from holding office for failure to be a resident of that county if the state’s attorney is a resident of a county which is contiguous to the county in which the state’s attorney holds such office.
But someone coming from Sioux Falls to represent Madison? That’s a new one, especially since it has a population of 10,972 according to the US Census in 2022.
Is it it legal? Technically, I believe he can run from another county, and reside in Lake County at the time he would be sworn into office. But, it’s highly, highly unusual to happen in one of our state’s mid-size areas. Again, not one on anyone’s bingo card.
So, to summarize, after leaving office a few years back after an investigation called for by the Governor, Aaron McGowan wants to be a taxpayer-paid public employee again. So he’s running as a candidate in a party he has not been a member of until a couple of weeks ago, in a county he doesn’t live in.
Did I get that right?
I think the answer to all of this for Lake County Republicans is easy. Send a donation to:
Wendy Kloeppner for State’s Attorney
1015 NW 4th ST
Madison, SD 57042
Unless there’s an unusual number of Lake County Republicans into that whole carpetbagging Democrat thing.
I’m kind of doubting that.
He was a complete failure in office. He was [allegedly -pp] completely absent from his position and what is worse than that, when he was at the office he [allegedly -pp] sexually harassed his staff. He targeted multiple victims. He was [allegedly -pp] habitually intoxicated. He brought embarrassment and shame on the office. Like Ravonsborg he undermined the public’s confidence in the system. Ultimately the commissioners decided it was best to pay him off to leave office. I can’t imagine who would be dumb enough to support a candidate like this for Lake County. (And there’s so much more to this story that has yet to be told).
Please do not send a donation to Ms. Kloeppner. Law Enforcement and victims of crime deserve a new face in that office. You are correct, the circumstances are odd. But that should be a sign of how the current SA is performing.
Agree with this. I don’t know Aaron and can’t vote in Madison. But Kloeppner is no GOP stalwart. There’s a better way Lake County.
Please expand. I’ve had my questions regarding some outcomes so it’s interesting to see your comment. Sounds like the current one is still better than this new runner, but I’d like to see a 3rd option.
I think Aaron McGowan would be. great States Attorney. Do not judge the man who suffered from alcohol and its effects in the past. He is ready to use his talents to be a great asset to Lake County. Do not sell him short!
Aaron, dis you???
Whatever Wollmann says do the opposite trust me.
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/s-d-lawmaker-resigns-after-admitting-to-sex-with-interns
His wife. He returned home after serving overseas to become a public servant and fell in love with an intern who was a few years younger than him. Oh, the horror. He literally did what everyone of us did but he was delayed 4 years to serve his country and found himself in a tough spot. I don’t fault him one bit and you will find not many people do in District 8.
Let’s dial it back.. We’re getting off topic.
He should not be permitted to hold a public position after what he has done while in office. The information released to the public only begins to scratch the surface of what was going on during his final years in office. This is more than politics- it’s ethics. Choosing someone who worked his last year in office (and when he did he was victimizing female staff and drinking) over the current seated (and well-qualified) State’s Attorney would be a disappointment for Lake County. The citizens deserve better. The position comes with a lot of power- the holder should be someone who deserves it.
Rarely worked***