South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has accused her fellow Republicans of conducting a shoddy impeachment trial against Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg. Instead of scrutinizing Ravnsborg’s negligence and driving that caused the horrific roadside death of a man in September 2020, Noem has accused the committee of instead focusing on how law enforcement responded to the tragedy. Today, she told the Associated Press: “It grieves me that because of a political agenda, some legislators on the committee are attacking the integrity of our law enforcement officers.” Though Ravnsborg did not contest his misdemeanor charges, the governor doesn’t think this punishment sufficiently fits the crime and has called for his full removal from office. House Speaker Spencer Gosch, also a Republican, defended the investigation, claiming the impeachment committee just wanted to be “thorough.”
