South Dakota GOP Chairman’s Statement on Democrat Party Leadership resignations

South Dakota Republican Party Chairman Dan Lederman issued the following statement today after the announcement of Democrat party Chairwoman Paula Hawks’ and Executive Director Stacey Burnette’s resignations this afternoon.

“South Dakota Democrats announced this afternoon that Democrat Party Chairwoman Paula Hawks and Party Executive Director Stacey Burnette resigned, with the remaining party vice-chair Randy Seiler citing party finances and debts among the reasons for the collapse in leadership,” South Dakota GOP Chair Dan Lederman said. 

Chairman Dan Lederman noted “It’s too bad that Democrat leadership decided they were bankrupt both financially as well as competing in the arena of ideas. Even more so today, the weight of finding solutions to our challenges and leading our state are strictly on the shoulders of the Republican party.”

“If Democrats want to find a way to get back on their feet in South Dakota, they need to come together with Republicans and listen to their neighbors about keeping taxes low, helping them live the American dream, and letting them prosper based on our own initiatives. That’s what the SDGOP has always believed, and our party’s sustained success reflects that.” Lederman said.

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So the book Stan Adelstein paid someone to write about himself was just reviewed by the Jerusalem Post. And it sounds like it made as much an impression on the reviewer as Stan did in influencing this last gubernatorial election:

It is interesting to see how the author mixed Stan’s voice into the story, but an article-length biography would have sufficed for most of us.

And…

Those like myself who are interested in South Dakota Jewish or political history need a copy, as do Stan’s family and friends. The rest of the world of readers, probably not…

Read the review here.

Ouch.

From the Daily Caller, US Senator Mike Rounds was one of seven Senators who went on the record regarding impeachment. And from the evidence presented to date, Senator Rounds is not convinced:

The Caller contacted all 53 Republican Senate offices Monday and Tuesday to ask if senators would rule out voting to remove Trump from office, and received a variety of responses–seven senators explicitly rejected impeachment in their statement.

And…

“After reading the transcript of the phone call between the president and President Zelensky, I do not believe the president committed an impeachable offense,” South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds told the Daily Caller when asked about impeachment.

Read it all here.

South Dakota Democrats are talking to the Rapid City Journal tonight about Paula Hawks’ resignation. Or.. not talking, as it seems there’s an atmosphere of people not really wanting to start clutching the hot potato of the Democrat Party Chairmanship:

Seiler, of Fort Pierre, was the party’s nominee for attorney general last year but lost to Republican Jason Ravnsborg. Seiler previously served as U.S. attorney for South Dakota. When asked why he does not want to serve as permanent chairman of the state party, Seiler expressed a desire for new and younger leadership.

“I think there are people out there who can appropriately fill that position and bring a new perspective to the party, and bring youth into party leadership, and lead us forward into 2020 and beyond,” Seiler said.

and..

Seiler said he has already spoken to Sutton and to former U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson and Johnson’s wife, Barbara, and other party leaders to seek their input and advice about the state party’s leadership situation.

Sutton did not immediately return a message from the Journal, and Seiler declined to comment specifically about whether Sutton might run or be drafted to run for the party chairmanship.

Read the entire story here.

What no one really seems to be talking about is the fact that the FEC hasn’t administered any penalties yet in reference to the audit that took place.

There were some impermissible contributions (as noted in the RCJ article), as well as whatever fine they decide to impose which have not been counted against their outstanding debt and obligations yet.  THAT will further affect their bottom line, and the new chair will have to expect they’ll have to clean that mess up, in addition to what’s already there.

No wonder they’re looking for new leadership. No one there is interested in grabbing the hot potato which will invariably burn whatever chair ends up taking the job..

This is hot off the press from a confidential source – I’m being told that this is the resignation letter sent to the South Dakota Democrat Party’s executive board announcing the resignation of their chairwoman Paula Hawks, and their Executive Director Stacey Burnette:

“It has also certainly been difficult to move an organization such as this forward when the governing body is still looking to the past to guide decisions.”

“Frankly our skills and services aren’t required for an organization whose sole focus can only be on fundraising to rectify past mistakes.”

Ouch.

I’m being told by my source that they believe Stacey found she was dealt an incredibly bad hand in taking this job, tried to make the best of it, and realized it was an insurmountable task given past mismanagement & debt.   

I can’t disagree with that, given the mess that she walked into. I can’t imagine it was fun finding out the building was on fire, and the water hose stopped working the second she walked in the door.

What do you think?

From the Argus Leader:

Vice Chair Randy Seiler of Fort Pierre is now serving as chair and an emergency meeting of the state party’s executive committee is scheduled for Saturday, Seiler said.

Seiler wouldn’t say why Hawks and Burnette resigned.

Read it here.

If anyone has information on this – please feel free to e-mail in confidence me here.

This is breaking from KELOland News…

South Dakota Democratic Party chair Paula Hawks and executive director Stacey Burnette resigned from their positions on Wednesday, KELOLAND News has confirmed.

The two have only served for a few months.

and..

KELOLAND News spoke with vice-chair Randy Seiler on Wednesday. He said according to the party’s constitution, he is now in charge. Seiler didn’t give a reason for the resignations.

“The South Dakota Democratic Party is bigger than any one or two individuals

Read that here at KELOland

This comes after news that Democrats were sinking further in the hole. Amazing.

Former District 14 State Senate Candidate and current Minnehaha Co GOP Vice Chair Tyler Swanger quietly filed paperwork with the Secretary of State this month declaring his for the legislature in District 14 House.

With State Rep Larry Zikmund’s intention to run for the State Senate, that still leaves a seat open in the lower chamber of that district for Republicans, which will trigger a challenge of Democrat State Rep Erin Healy that Republicans are actively recruiting for.

Stay tuned.

Johnson Statement on House Energy and Commerce Hearing on EPA Refinery Exemptions

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) voiced support following notice of a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee hearing on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Integrity Act of 2019, a bill that Johnson introduced along with Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN). The hearing will examine the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Small Refinery Exemption waivers and mismanagement of the RFS program.

“The EPA’s newly proposed RFS rule does not deliver what was promised,” said Johnson. “President Trump has stood by our ethanol producers and the EPA should follow suit. I introduced the RFS Integrity Act along with the Chairman of the Ag Committee to provide certainty and close the waiver loophole. Our bill looks better every day, and I am encouraged this issue is getting the hearing it deserves.”

The bill is supported by Growth Energy, Fuels America, National Corn Growers Association, Renewable Fuels Association, and the National Biodiesel Board.

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Thune: I Will Continue to Fight to Protect Religious Liberty

“I don’t just want to see religious people tolerated. I’d like to see the Democrat Party rejecting the un-American idea that being religious makes you less qualified to participate in the public square.”

Click here or on the picture above to watch Thune’s speech.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed the growing hostility to religion within the far-left wing of the Democrat Party, which recently included a proposal to selectively tax churches based on their religious beliefs. Thune also discussed the Democrats’ desire to roll back a key provision of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which would amount to a tax cut for millionaires.