Top Political Stories of 2019: #7 – Aaron McGowan and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad police call.
This story might not have hit the top 10, if it wasn’t so bad that it required the Governor’s intervention, and the Attorney General having to research whether the state would prevail if they were to have forcibly removed Aaron McGowan from office. But it did. And they had to. And it finally came down to the state’s public liability carrier and the County Commission to bring it to an end.
This summer there started to be rumors surrounding long-time Minnehaha County States Attorney Aaron McGowan and a call directing police to his house, and the rumors grew over time to the point that Jon Ellis and Joe Sneve from the Argus Leader took it upon themselves to suss out exactly what happened on July 13th. And the more that people dug, walls started to go up.
Police records of the call in question were held as confidential and would not be released, and these records preceded McGowan’s absence from his office. When he finally returned to work, and replied to the rumors, McGowan didn’t provide a response as much as an attack on the media investigating him. As I noted at the time, taxpayer dollars were being used to respond to *something* going on at an elected official’s private residence. And when people inquire, a brick wall of silence has been engaged.
Of course, McGowan used the Argus’ primary media competition KELO-tv to deliver his misty-eyed plea to Angela Kennecke that there was nothing nefarious going on, and he was suffering from knee related PTSD, fearing surgery.
About that time, Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg requested a review into the police call to determine if policy and procedure were followed, which they apparently were. But as rumors persisted, Governor Kristi Noem stepped in, and requested the Attorney General go beyond the police call, and review everything that was going on with the State’s Attorney’s absence, his office, “intoxicating liquors”, and performing his duties.
And then it really hit the fan.
About a month later, the Attorney General provided his report to the Governor as compiled by the Division of Criminal Investigation. And there was a lot more going on than the mysterious police call that the story started with. The report included only those things that people would go on the record for – and just those items sounded like a mess, including McGowan being “a very absent boss,” and people bringing alcohol to McGowan’s house during working hours at his request. And an incident with a female coworker where McGowan invited himself to her house to drink as a condition of her taking leave, making her feel uncomfortable in the process.
McGowan fought back in the wake of the report, declaring in a press release that sounded more like a campaign piece that he was going to “KEEP WORKING FULL-STEAM AHEAD.” But by this time, his defenders seemed to become fewer and fewer, and no one was buying it at this point.
Ultimately, Governor Noem took a pass on attempting direct removal of McGowan because of the scarcity of case law providing direction in the matter, and a lack of direct evidence of any specific crime being committed. Lacking a criminal act, there was no ground to move forward. Noem took the best path available for her, declaring the report’s findings regarding McGowan’s actions “Unsettling,” but declaring “no ‘further action’ necessary.”
By this point, the stream of bad information that had broken loose from the walls put up continued to flow. And McGowan’s old friends Ellis and Sneve released another report in November that despite pleas of an overworked staff, McGowan hadn’t led a case since August 2017. Even his fellow Democrat County Commissioner Jeff Barth sounded as if he’d be happy to see him go at this point.
The death knells were loudly clanging on McGowan’s career in the State’s Attorney’s office by this time. And in Early December, an agenda was filed with the Minnehaha County Commission noting that McGowan was set to resign.
McGowan’s nemeses at the Argus soon followed up with another article pointing out that McGowan allegedly resigned “amid an investigation that he sexually harassed employees in his office,” and that there was “a second investigation by the South Dakota Public Assurance Alliance at the request of the county” which preceded his resignation.
McGowan settled up with the county with a $35,000 check in exchange for his resignation, bringing the months-long saga to an end.
A public schadenfreude that started with a simple police call to his house. A Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad police call, as far as McGowan is concerned. As that call and two reporters who wouldn’t stop digging into the incident ended his public service.
that whole write-up and you never mentioned the bicycle?
This was a train wreck on many levels—it will be interesting to see who runs for the job and who can clean up this mess.
Someone from outside the office and fresh looks to be in order to me.
Agreed. I understand why they put an existing employee in place as the Acting State’s Attorney, but there will be a cloud over the office if someone from outside isn’t the new State’s Attorney.
The AG came out of this one looking quite well in my opinion. I remember a quick investigation by DCI and a detailed report by the AG. I knew McGowan was done after that, even if he didn’t know it. Good job!
Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life son. What a nitwit. And what is the deal with riding away on the bicycle anyway?
He was smart enough not to drive a car. It’s unlikely you are going to kill someone with a bicycle.
You defended him though the whole situation. Care to admit you were wrong?
It’s still a violation of the law if he was under the influence.
Nope
32-23-22. Chapter not applicable to person riding animal or foot-pedal conveyance. The provisions of this chapter do not apply to any person who is riding:
(1) A horse or other animal; and
(2) A bicycle, tricycle, or other unpowered foot-pedal conveyance.
I will be the first to admit I am wrong…..if I am wrong.
Case closed.
I still can’t believe you would defend him given his actions regarding female employees, I guess that’s ok as long as he is a dem.
“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……………..well if a guy or gal makes you feel uncomfortable, then just tell the person to leave or don’t allow the person in your house. Just handle it, you don’t need the government involved. I don’t think it is a crime if you make a person feel uncomfortable, is it.
On the surface, without the other items, and on its face, I agree with Tara. (It is McGowan’s other items more disturbing and problematic).
If this were a male employee, little would be said. In fact, this is done all the time- Boss and subordinate on a day-off having a few adult beverages talking shop at one or the others house.
Only the person there can judge if it is appropriate and if it is not, it is on that person to end it. To have it otherwise only puts another pane in the glass ceiling.
Employee/employer, he’s got control over her, you crack me up. If he had an R behind his name you’d have been screaming for his head!
What does an R have to do with anything? I hate the 2 party system.Women need to stop playing the victim card. Kick his ass out….problem solved.
You may hate it but there is a double standard. Look at the Washington Post and the governor of Virginia. Black face is no ok for him and the president of Canada. The MSM has a standard. It’s just a double standard.