SDDP Chair Paula Hawks criticizes prior “lack of oversight in the financial management of SDDP.” But, then why is the same person still in charge of financial management?

The buses are rolling tonight. And under them you’re going to find the Democrats who used to be in charge of the South Dakota Democrat Party, courtesy of Paula Hawks.

Today the Federal Elections Commission discussed the audit they conducted of the South Dakota Democrat Party. And SDDP Chair Paula Hawks quickly put up a statement for the media critical of the people who were at the Democrat Party before she was put in charge:

SDDP RESPONSE TO PAST FEC FILINGS

SIOUX FALLS – The South Dakota Democratic Party is currently working with the Federal Election Commission to address past report filings dating back to 2015.

Newly appointed chair, Paula Hawks stated, “Unfortunately there has clearly been a lack of oversight in the financial management of SDDP. Moving forward this new administration has and will continue to ensure accuracy in our reporting at all levels.”

The SDDP’s current financial situation is unfortunate and unexpected to this new administration and executive director. However, every step will be taken to set things right and rebuild the Democratic Party in South Dakota – with transparency, accountability and integrity.

Read Paula’s criticisms here.

“There has clearly been a lack of oversight in the financial management of SDDP.” That’s a pretty broad and damning statement from the chairwoman of the Democrat Party as she tears into the prior leadership. And she complains as well that “the SDDP’s current financial situation is unfortunate and unexpected to this new administration and executive director.”

The “financial situation is unfortunate and unexpected to this new administration.”

So I have to ask….who was the elected Democrat party member in charge of the party’s finances when all of this bad stuff went down in 2015 & 2016? Who is responsible for what went on?

According to the filings under question in the FEC’s Audit, the person who put their name on the line was the Democrat Party State Treasurer at the time, Bill Nibbelink:

And now that Paula Hawks is in charge of the South Dakota Democrat Party, and she’s going to root out the nefarious forces of those who had a “lack of oversight in the financial management of SDDP” at the time in 2015, who does she have at the wheel right now in August of 2019?

Why, the person who was treasurer back in 2015 when all of this bad stuff was going on… Bill Nibbelink, is still at the South Dakota Democrat Party as the organization’s treasurer in 2019.

His name is still right there on the line of the FEC report. In the same place when he was signing them in 2015.

In fact, Bill Nibbelink was in charge of the party’s finances before the problems that gave rise to the audit, Bill Nibbelink was the Democrat Party’s Treasurer while all of the problems took place, and Bill Nibbelink has actually never left!

So when Paula Hawks claims that their “current financial situation is unfortunate and unexpected to this new administration,” how can that be a true statement? Because Paula’s administration isn’t exactly and completely a new administration. The same person who signed the checks then as treasurer is still signing them, and never left.

But admitting that is a much harder truth than admitting that her people – at least one of which is right at her side as part of the party administration – was as much of the problem then as much as they are now.

Her statement might be something that people want to ask Paula and the new ED Stacey Burnette about when the speak tomorrow at noon at the Dem Party Lunch in Sioux Falls. (There’s usually a Q&A time.)

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Update: I see Seth Tupper at the Rapid City Journal noticed this as well, and included his take on the Dem Party ignoring this fact in his story about the FEC’s action tonight:

The party’s Wednesday evening news release did not mention that the party still has the same treasurer, Bill Nibbelink, as it had during the years covered by the audit. According to Federal Election Commission literature, political party committee treasurers are “responsible for filing the committee’s registration form, depositing receipts, authorizing expenditures, monitoring contributions, keeping records, signing all reports and statements and filing all reports and statements on time.”

The Journal inquired to the state party about Nibbelink’s current and future status, and Burnette replied with a written statement: “SDDP is currently reviewing all aspects of this situation and working diligently to ensure accountability at all levels.”

Read that here.

In a couple of the articles, it has been noted that this was not the first time Democrats have had issues brought up in an audit:

This isn’t the first time a federal audit has found the SDDP misstated its finances on reports to the FEC. A federal audit of the SDDP examining the party’s 2009-2010 financial reports found that the SDDP understated its disbursements by about $15,000 and understated its receipts by $27,000, according to the FEC.

Read that here.

So who was in charge of finances the last time this issue came up nearly a decade ago? It was Bill Nibbelink, of course. In fact, he’s been around for a while: