South-Dakota

Noem secretly accepts $80,000 from dark money nonprofit

| Importance: 9/10

While serving as South Dakota governor, Kristi Noem secretly accepted $80,000 from a dark money nonprofit called American Resolve Policy Fund, routing the payment to her personal LLC Ashwood Strategies in Delaware. She failed to disclose this payment to the public and later failed to include it in …

Kristi Noem Lee Schoenbeck corruption dark-money kristi-noem south-dakota ethics-violation +2 more
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Ethics board finds Noem may have engaged in misconduct and conflict of interest

| Importance: 8/10

South Dakota’s Government Accountability Board voted unanimously that there was sufficient evidence Governor Kristi Noem had committed malfeasance and engaged in a conflict of interest regarding her intervention in her daughter’s appraiser license application. The board found evidence of …

Kristi Noem South Dakota Government Accountability Board Jason Ravnsborg corruption ethics-violation kristi-noem south-dakota abuse-of-power +1 more
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South Dakota pays $200,000 to silence appraiser chief fired after Noem intervention

| Importance: 8/10

Sherry Bren, the 70-year-old head of South Dakota’s appraiser certification program, was forced to retire after refusing to approve Governor Noem’s daughter’s license. Bren filed an age discrimination complaint and received a $200,000 settlement to withdraw it. She testified she …

Sherry Bren Kristi Noem South Dakota corruption whistleblower-retaliation kristi-noem south-dakota hush-money +1 more
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Noem intervenes in daughter's denied appraiser license application

| Importance: 8/10

Days after South Dakota agency moved to deny Kassidy Peters’ real estate appraiser license application, Governor Kristi Noem summoned agency head Sherry Bren and other officials to a meeting with Peters present. Peters ultimately received certification four months later after receiving special …

Kristi Noem Kassidy Peters Sherry Bren Marcia Hultman corruption nepotism abuse-of-power kristi-noem south-dakota +1 more
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Noem uses state aircraft for political events violating state law

| Importance: 7/10

Governor Kristi Noem used state airplanes to travel to political events hosted by organizations including the National Rifle Association and Republican Jewish Coalition, violating South Dakota law that bars state aircraft from being used for anything other than state business. Democratic lawmakers …

Kristi Noem NRA Republican Jewish Coalition corruption misuse-of-resources kristi-noem south-dakota ethics-violation +1 more
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