FILE PHOTO: SHANNON STAPLETON June 07, 2022 09:32pm EDT. Reuters photo.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A South Dakota prosecutor who was overseeing an investigation into Gov. Kristi Noem’s use of state government aircraft says that the investigation found nothing to support a criminal prosecution.
Hughes County State’s Attorney Jessica LaMie says that there was “no basis to pursue” any actions on the allegations that the Republican governor had misused the state plane or that the plane’s flight records had been altered.
She called an allegation that flight records had been tampered with “frivolous.”
Noem, a potential 2024 White House contender, had used the plane to attend events hosted by political organizations in 2019.
Read the official release from the State Attorney General’s Office below.
PIERRE, S.D. – Hughes County State’s Attorney Jessica LaMie announced today the end of the Division of Criminal Investigation’s inquiry into complaints that Gov. Kristi Noem had misused the state airplane and that the plane’s flight records had been tampered with.
LaMie and the DCI concluded that there were no facts to support a criminal prosecution under current law for the use of the airplane and that the allegation regarding flight records was frivolous.
“I want to thank the DCI for conducting a thorough and professional investigation,” said LaMie. “There is no basis to pursue these matters further.”
The original complaints were filed with the Government Accountability Board. The board referred them to Attorney General Mark Vargo on Sept. 9, 2022, asking that the DCI investigate. Vargo recused himself and the Attorney General’s Office and asked LaMie to oversee the inquiry and make any charging decisions.
LaMie on Monday informed the Government Accountability Board that she had concluded her inquiry and referred the matter back to the board.
LaMie said she would have no additional comment and referred any additional questions to the Government Accountability Board or the Attorney General’s Office.
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