I’m at the Brookings County GOP picnic tonight where State Representative Fred Deutsch announced he will be a candidate for State Senate in District 4, running against State Representative Stephanie Sauder for the seat being vacated by State Senator (and State GOP chair) John Wiik.
Another marquee primary coming for June 2024. Stay tuned.
State Senator Castleberry Announces Resignation, Noem Seeks Public Input on Replacement
PIERRE, S.D. – Senator Jessica Castleberry announced that she will resign her seat in the State Senate. Castleberry has represented District 35 in the State Senate since 2020. Upon Castleberry’s resignation, Governor Kristi Noem requested public input on filling the District 35 vacancy.
Those wishing to be considered for the Senate vacancy, or to offer nominations, should email Ben Koisti at Ben.Koisti@state.sd.us. Nominations should include the candidate’s name, current physical address, resume, cover letter, and letters of recommendation. All nomination materials must be submitted by September 18th.
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Attorney General Jackley Announces Former State Correctional Officer Convicted Of Simple Assault
PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces that Joshua Westenkirchner of Harrisburg, S.D., has been convicted of two counts of simple assault of a prison inmate while serving as a correctional officer at the state prison in Sioux Falls.
A Minnehaha County jury this week reached its verdict after a two-day trial. He was found not guilty of another count of simple assault and one count of aggravated assault.
“The conduct in this case should not and has not been tolerated. It is an isolated incident of one individual that should not reflect on those correctional officers that serve their positions with respect,” said Attorney General Jackley. “I want to thank the investigators, Assistant Attorney Generals, and the jurors for their important work in serving justice in this matter.”
Officials say the incident occurred March 14 and 15, 2022. Westenkirchner, 42, was indicted by a Minnehaha Grand Jury on Dec. 22, 2022.
The State Division of Criminal Investigation investigated the incident. Prosecution of the case was handled by the Attorney General’s Office.
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Lt. Gov. Rhoden Elected to NLGA Executive Committee
PIERRE, S.D. – Today, the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) announced that Lieutenant Governor Larry Rhoden will serve as an At-Large Member of the NLGA Executive Committee.
“My top priority has always been the hard-working people of South Dakota. Governor Noem and I have accomplished much for our state over the last several years, including breaking the national record for low unemployment, preserving our thriving agriculture industry, and creating the blueprint for state-led response to the Chinese Communist threat. This work is being recognized by lieutenant governors from all over the United States, and I look forward to working with them to tackle the most pressing issues,” said Lt. Gov. Rhoden.
NLGA is a professional association that supports every lieutenant governor across the United States of America. NLGA empowers lieutenant governors to be as effective and efficient as possible for their constituents. The Executive Committee meets about three times a year. The committee is responsible for addressing issues that concern every U.S. state and territory and providing necessary resources to their fellow lieutenant governors.
“NGLA thrives under leaders that are willing to participate, share, and learn with their peer seconds-in-command from across the country,” said NLGA Director Julia Brossart. “His peers find Lt. Gov. Rhoden to be an engaged leader willing to share ideas from the agriculture industry to veterans affairs.”
Lt. Gov. Rhoden was elected to the state legislature in 2000. He served as House Majority Leader and chaired both the Senate and House State Affairs Committees before he was elected alongside Governor Noem in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.
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From facebook:
If you’re a South Dakota political history buff, some of the best content you’ll hear this week is the latest podcast from our friends at Dakota Town Hall, where they’ve brought Senate President Pro Tempore Lee Schoenbeck, and former Janklow confidante’ & Lobbyist Harry Christianson together for part 1 of their stories about former Governor Bill Janklow.
Senate President Pro Tempore Lee Schoenbeck issued the following statement today, following the announcement of the resolution of the Senator Jessica Castleberry matter, along with her subsequent resignation:
Senator Castleberry has been a valued member of the senate, ever since her appointment by Governor Noem. She obviously made a mistake and she’s owned it and taken responsibility.
The executive board needs to take the process up at our November meeting. The system safeguards are the Governor, Auditor, Treasurer, and the individual judgment of each legislator. We need to look at the contracts and understand what controls are in place, or what changes need to be made to uphold the Constitution and see that it doesn’t happen again. Everyone wants that.
Given the high profile of this matter, along with other legislators being included on state contracts, it’s sure to be a big topic in the upcoming session.
Attorney General Jackley Announces Settlement With Sen. Castleberry on Restitution Of State Funds
PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces an agreement has been reached with State Senator Jessica Castleberry to pay back more than $499,000 in COVID funds which she received for her preschool daycare centers in Rapid City.
On July 25, Governor Kristi Noem requested that the Attorney General’s Office investigate possible constitutional and statutory violations committed by Senator Castleberry in receiving more than $600,000 in COVID funds. The funds were approved and paid by the State Department of Social Services.
In a July 26 letter to Senator Castleberry, Attorney General Jackley wrote that the State Supreme Court has ruled that the State Constitution prohibits state legislators from receiving such funds and requested that the Senator repay the funds. Further investigation ensued and a repayment settlement with the Senator has been reached.
Attorney General Jackley’s full statement:
“Our State Constitution prohibits a state legislator from receiving funds he or she is responsible for overseeing. The Attorney General’s investigation has determined that $499,129.79 were inappropriately received by Senator Castleberry and a repayment plan for those taxpayer funds has been established. The investigation further determined that an additional $104,100, that has not been included, passed through directly to qualified needy families and their children, and not to the benefit of Senator Castleberry. The investigation did not reveal any abuse in Senator Castleberry’s expenditure of the $603,229.79 in funds, and all funds were spent for DSS approved purposes. I would like to further thank the Governor’s Office and Senator Castleberry for their cooperation during this investigation.”
A copy of the agreement between the Attorney General’s Office and Sen. Castleberry can be found here.
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Castleberry Settlement Agreement by Pat Powers on Scribd
As noted in my e-mail box, today is the last day to register for the 2023 Midwest Ag Export Summit, with the following speakers:
2023 SPEAKERS
You can find out more and register at the Ag Expo’s website here.
KELOland is reporting that following today’s press conference with Attorney General Marty Jackley announcing the status of the Castleberry investigation over her business’ receipt of state monies, Senator Castleberry has announced her resignation from the South Dakota State Senate:
Minutes after the news conference ended, Castleberry, who represents District 35 in eastern Rapid City, announced her resignation.
“I formally resign from my position in the South Dakota Senate,” Castleberry said in an emailed statement. “I was humbled to be appointed and honored to be elected. Thank you for the opportunity to serve the people of the state of South Dakota.”
She said she is “glad speculation from other state departments and the executive branch regarding my ethics and intentions can be laid to rest.”
I think the Senator as attested to by the AG has been an open book and cooperated fully, but unfortunately with the wild west of COVID funds, had received advice that didn’t prove true, and made an honest mistake.