Attorney General Jackley Announces Pierre Woman Pleads Guilty to Defrauding South Dakota Medicaid Program

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces that a Pierre woman has pleaded guilty to one felony count of Grand Theft after earlier being charged with defrauding the South Dakota Medicaid Program of more than $588,000 in federal and state funds.

Sharon Laraye Monson, 49, entered the guilty plea Thursday in Hughes County Circuit Court. She faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison when sentenced Aug. 25.  As part of a plea agreement, she has agreed to pay $500,000 in restitution to the South Dakota Department of Social Services.

Monson stole the money when she was the owner of At Home Nursing in Pierre. The charges occurred from May 1, 2018 to Jan. 1, 2024.

The case was investigated and prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud, Abuse and Neglect Services Unit.

This release is provided in compliance with the federal Stevens Amendment: The South Dakota Medicaid Fraud Control Unit receives 75% of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling approximately $1,033,972 for Federal Fiscal Year 2026. The remaining 25%, totaling approximately $334,656 for Federal Fiscal Year 2026, was funded by the State of South Dakota.

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State Senator Tom Pischke is preparing to become “plea deal Pischke” with regards to the charges brought against him by the Minnehaha County State’s Attorney for falsifying election documents:

The case may not reach such a hearing, tentatively scheduled for August, if a plea deal is reached.

“I believe we have a plea deal” for Pischke, said Minnehaha County State’s Attorney Daniel Haggar. He did not elaborate.

After the hearing, Kolbeck confirmed that plea deal discussions are ongoing but said a deal is not yet “imminent.” Pischke declined to comment.

Read the entire story here.

Gov. Rhoden Receives Funding from Trump Administration for ICE Support

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Larry Rhoden announced that the Trump Administration has provided $150,418 to the South Dakota Highway Patrol (SDHP) for SDHP’s 287(g) agreement with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The state anticipates further funding under the agreement as operations continue.

“Public safety is my number one priority, and I am grateful that President Trump shares the same commitment to keeping our state and all of America safe,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “Our partnership with ICE has delivered strong results, and I look forward to continuing to partner with the Trump Administration as we work to keep South Dakota strong, safe, and free.”

This financial support is directly allocated toward personnel payroll, specialized field equipment, and information technology (IT) stipends to support the agency’s coordinated enforcement efforts. Currently, the SDHP has 40 state troopers participating in the program. On May 18th, Governor Rhoden announced the expansion of troopers who would be trained under the partnership.

State Troopers have assisted in more than 204 immigration-related arrests involving individuals unlawfully present in the United States who were encountered during routine patrols across South Dakota. Those enforcement actions included individuals accused of a wide range of criminal offenses, including murder, assault on law enforcement, and felony and misdemeanor drug crimes.

“The 287(g) framework gives our troopers the training and access to federal resources needed to properly identify individuals we encounter during the course of our duties,” said Colonel Casey Collins, Superintendent of the South Dakota Highway Patrol. “These cases have involved individuals accused of serious violent offenses as well as drug-related crimes. This program is a strong example of the partnerships that help us protect South Dakota’s communities.”

The Department of Corrections (DOC) and the South Dakota National Guard (SDNG) have also continued to work with ICE as part of this state-federal partnership.

DOC submitted additional inmates for parole to federal custody and deportation. So far, 25 inmates have been paroled directly to ICE custody. Four additional inmates were approved at the parole board meeting in June and are in process, and four more will be considered in July. Removing illegal criminal aliens saves South Dakota taxpayers an average of over $34,000 in annual cost per inmate.

The SDNG deployment of seven guardsmen has continued since last fall. These active-duty soldiers in Sioux Falls and Rapid City are helping process deportations, acting as a force multiplier for South Dakota ICE officers. Through July 2, the SDNG has assisted directly in processing 807 illegal immigrants who have been deported out of South Dakota. The guard costs have been paid directly with federal funds.

Governor Rhoden previously activated the SDNG and sent letters of intent to establish the 287(g) agreements. You can find the DOC letter here and the SDHP letter here.

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From KELOland News, State Senator Tom Pischke is in court today fighting the charges that he falsified election documents:

Republican state lawmaker Tom Pischke appeared in a Minnehaha County courtroom Tuesday, where his attorney entered a not guilty plea to election fraud charges on Pischke’s behalf.

A preliminary hearing in the case is set for Aug. 21, but Pischke’s attorney Ryan Kolbeck said this will change. Kolbeck says a plea deal for his client is possible but not imminent.

Read the entire story here.

I was informed earlier this evening that this morning, Sioux Falls City Councilor David Barranco passed away from his battle with cancer. Please keep his family in your prayers.

Have a ribbon I’m waiting to receive in the mail.  I didn’t want to spend as much as I did for a SDGOP Convention related ribbon, but it’s the only one I’ve ever seen.

What got me started was that the seller was offering one of the above 1896 GOP Convention ribbons, which wasn’t one I needed.  In fact, I might even have a duplicate, unless I traded it off. But, alongside it – they had this one:

It doesn’t specifically have “Republican Convention” on it, but there was only one “State Convention – Aberdeen July 8, 1896” in Aberdeen that day, making this a companion ribbon that people would pin to their suits on as they bickered about their candidate selection, hawking the Black Hills as the “Richest 100-Mile Square on Earth,” with $3,000,000 in annual output of cattle, and $5,000,000 of gold.

As noted, it’s the only one I’ve ever seen, and it appeared to be in good shape. I paid a little more than I wanted to, but it will be a welcome – and rare – addition to the wall of political textiles displayed behind me.

Looks like this is court week for some accused to be bad actors in the political class.

State Senator Tom Pischke is scheduled to have a warrant/initial hearing tomorrow (7/7) at 9AM in criminal circuit court in Minnehaha County on 2 charges of filing a false or forged instrument in violation of SDCL 22-11-28.1, a class 6 felony.

These would be the same charges that the Minnehaha County GOP has requested Pischke resign from his county party offices for.

This court process is just getting started, so it may be dragging out for months.

Speaking of dragging out for months, former Rapid City news anchor and kind-of political campaign manager Shad Olson is scheduled to be back in court out west on violating court orders related to him pleading “no contest” to charges of misdemeanor domestic abuse that were pled down from felony aggravated assault.

• State Senator Sue Peterson,
• State Senator Ernie Otten,
• State Senator Kevin Jensen,
• State Representative Tim Czmowski,
• State Representative Roger DeGroot,
• State Representative Leslie Heinemann,
• State Representative Jack Kolbeck,
• State Representative Brian Mulder,
• State Representative Keri Weems,
• Public Utilities Commissioner Kristie Fiegen,
• State Representative-elect Terry Sabers,
• Republican Nominee for State Representative Fred Deutsch,
• Republican Nominee for Public Utilities Commissioner Don Haggar,
• Former Lincoln County Commissioner Betty Otten, and
• Lincoln County Commissioner-elect Joni Ekstrum.

Less for the IRS, More for You
By Sen. John Thune

 One year ago, on July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the Working Families Tax Cuts into law. Thanks to this Republican tax relief bill, 97 percent of Americans who filed their taxes this year saw a tax cut. They saw larger tax refunds, smaller tax bills, and collectively saved $82 billion that they would have otherwise had to send to the IRS if not for the Working Families Tax Cuts – and that’s just the beginning of its impact.

At the heart of this bill was making Republicans’ 2017 individual tax relief permanent. Without action from Congress, the tax savings hardworking Americans have enjoyed since 2017 would have expired, and a typical family in South Dakota would have seen a $2,500 tax hike this year. That was unacceptable. Republicans were determined to prevent this tax hike, and more than prevent it, we made those lower rates permanent and delivered new tax relief that puts more money in Americans’ pockets.

The Working Families Tax Cuts delivers permanently lower tax rates across the board. After nearly doubling the standard deduction in 2017, the Working Families Tax Cuts made it permanent. And thanks to this bill, parents will benefit from an increase in the child tax credit to $2,200 per child, which is now linked to the cost of living so it never loses its value.

We also created a number of new tax relief provisions. The senior deduction helped more than 35 million Americans over age 65 reduce their tax burden this year. No tax on tips and overtime allowed workers to keep more of their hard-earned money – from waiters and waitresses to firefighters and factory workers. All told, Americans earning between $100,000 and $200,000 last year who took advantage of this new tax relief saw an average tax cut of $1,250.

The good news extends to small businesses, farms, and ranches too. Permanent pro-growth provisions in the tax code will help them invest more in their operations and employees – things like lower tax rates, the 199A small business deduction, and 100 percent immediate expensing. These permanent tax policies help free up cash for small businesses, encourage investment, and help them create more opportunity.

I’m also very proud that the Working Families Tax Cuts saves a lot more small businesses and family farms and ranches from the death tax by raising the exemption threshold. Family businesses, farmers, and ranchers who want to pass their operation on to the next generation can now breathe easier thanks to this bill, and they can avoid the costly estate-planning expenses that come with this unfair tax.

Republicans not only prevented a $4 trillion tax hike, we provided additional tax relief that puts more money in hardworking Americans’ pockets and offers more breathing room for family businesses, farms, and ranches. For the past year, the American people have been seeing the benefits of the Working Families Tax Cuts, and this story continues to unfold throughout our state and across the country.

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Weekly Round[s] Up: June 22-28, 2026

Back with another edition of the Weekly Round[s] Up! It was a full week here in Washington, D.C., with a packed schedule each day. I welcomed many South Dakotans to my office to discuss the issues that matter most to them. As I often tell constituents who visit, it’s important for South Dakotans to come to Washington and share their own experiences and perspectives because otherwise, someone else will tell their story for them. In addition to meeting with constituents, I attended several other meetings and briefings, spoke with witnesses at multiple hearings and cast 11 votes. President Trump also joined our Senate Republican lunch.

In addition, we continue to hear from South Dakotans who are having issues with mail delivery in South Dakota. As you may know, at my request, the Office of the Inspector General has opened an official investigation into South Dakota’s postal service. We have heard your comments and concerns, but I urge you to share them directly with the OIG as part of its official investigation. Click here to submit your comments. Here’s more on this past week in the Weekly Round[s] Up:

South Dakota Groups I Visited With: South Dakotans from the National Audubon Society; Randall Community Water District; South Dakota farmers with the Clean Fuels Alliance; and the South Dakota Music Education Association.

Additionally, I met with students from the Huron and Harrisburg areas. Early summer is always a busy time of year in Washington as school groups visit our nation’s capital. It’s especially meaningful to welcome students this year as our nation celebrates its 250th birthday.

Met With South Dakotans From: Avon, Brandon, Centerville, Geddes, Harrisburg, Hartford, Highmore, Huron, Lake Andes, Miller, Mitchell, Sioux Falls, Vermillion and White River.

Other Meetings: Lindsey Johnson, President and CEO of the Consumer Bankers Association; Kent Walker, President and Chief Legal Officer of Google and Alphabet; Assistant Secretary for Water and Science at the U.S. Department of the Interior, Andrea Travnicek ; Dr. Christopher Phelan, nominee to be Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers; and Jason Droege, CEO of Scale AI.

I attended our weekly Senate Bible study hosted by Senator Steve Daines of Montana and I went to our weekly Senate Prayer Breakfast, hosted by Senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee. I also stopped by the West Point Cadet Reception hosted by Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island.

On Thursday, I spoke at the 2026 Disclosure Symposium, where I discussed the future of the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Disclosure Act. I am once again cosponsoring as an amendment to this year’s National Defense Authorization Act.

Hearings: I attended three hearings this past week. On Tuesday, during a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing, I questioned Lindsey Johnson, President and CEO of the Consumer Bankers Association. You can watch the full clip here.

On Wednesday, I attended a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing, where I questioned Mark Cruz, nominee to be Director of the Indian Health Service within the Department of Health and Human Services. Mr. Cruz visited my office for a meeting last week. Click here to watch the exchange.

On Thursday, I attended a second Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing, where I questioned Dr. Christopher Phelan, nominee to be Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers (who I also visited with in my office this past week). Click here to watch the exchange.

Briefings: I attended two closed briefings with the Select Committee on Intelligence this past week, in addition to one classified briefing as part of my work on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Legislation Introduced: June 24, 2026, marked the fourth anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturning Roe v. Wade. This past week, alongside Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), we introduced the Dismemberment Abortion Ban Act of 2026. This legislation would establish a federal prohibition on dilation and evacuation procedures, commonly known as dismemberment abortions, in which surgical instruments are used to extract an unborn child piece by piece. Under this bill, physicians who knowingly perform these procedures would face fines and/or imprisonment of up to two years. Click the links to read the press release and the full bill text.

Votes Taken: I voted 11 times this past week. I voted in favor of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, along with 84 of my colleagues. This bicameral, bipartisan housing reform bill which will modernize rural housing programs and cut red tape has officially passed Congress.

I also voted on multiple nominees, including Darrell Owens, of Pennsylvania, to be U.S. Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, with the rank of Ambassador; John George Edward Marck, of Texas, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Texas; Michael J. Hendershot, of Ohio, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio; Arthur Roberts Jones, of Texas, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Texas; and Matthew A. Schwartz, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit.

Additionally, I voted against a resolution to block the Department of Education’s new federal student loan regulations, as well as two efforts to remove U.S. Armed Forces from Iran. Click here to read more about these votes.

Steps Taken: 59,739 steps or 27.02 miles.

My Staff in South Dakota Visited: Dell Rapids and Miller.

Survey Results: As some of you may have seen last week, I sent out a survey to my email list to get some feedback on what issues are most important to South Dakotans right now. Thank you to everyone who took time to share responses with me. Out of a long list of options, the top three issues were:

(1) Social security and Medicare
(2) Budget and deficit spending
(3) Health Care

We will try to share more information on each of these topics on future editions of the Weekly Round[s] Up!