ICYMI: South Dakota Republican Representative Slams Gov. Kristi Noem for Abuse of Power

In a recent CNN interview, South Dakota GOP Rep. Steve Haugaard slammed Gov. Kristi Noem for her lack of transparency after the Associated Press exposed Noem for abusing her taxpayer-funded office to benefit family members.

After a state agency moved to deny her daughter’s application to become a certified real estate appraiser, Noem intervened in a private meeting, cheating the approval process and costing taxpayers $200,000 after a complaint was filed by the agency’s head.

Haugaard says any issues with the state’s appraisal system should have been handled in the legislature, not behind closed doors. “Privacy is for individuals, but transparency is for government,” said Haugaard, citing Noem’s broken campaign promise of transparency.

The recent scandal and Noem’s history of abuse on the part of family members led the Democratic Governors Association to send a public record request to the Office of the Governor for records concerning her intervention.

“Kristi Noem’s corruption shows she cares more about helping her own family members than looking out for South Dakotans,” said DGA Deputy Communications Director Sam Newton. “Noem has abused power and wasted taxpayer dollars for long enough that now even her fellow South Dakota Republicans are calling her out.”

Watch Haugaard’s scathing criticism of Noem here.

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