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Jason Ravnsborg, the 46-year-old South Dakota Attorney General, was voted to be impeached by the South Dakota State Senate due to his involvement in a 2020 car crash that killed 55-year-old, Joseph Boever.
In September 2020, Jason Ravnsborg was allegedly returning home from a South Dakota Republican fundraiser when he hit Boever with his car. He then drove away from the scene, telling investigators during a police interview that he hadn’t stopped as he thought he’d hit a deer.
In an official press report, the Department of Public Safety accused Ravnsborg of having been distracted while driving.
Argus Leader reported on February 17, 2021, that Jason Ravnsborg was charged with three misdemeanors. These were driving while using a cell phone, driving outside his lane, and careless driving.
Ravnsborg was first told to resign by South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, but he refused. On March 28, 2022, the Special Committee recommended not to impeach Ravnsborg. However, by June 21, Mount Rushmore State Senators had agreed that Ravnsborg’s actions were not befitting of an Attorney General.
The impeachment of Jason Ravnsborg
According to Rolling Stone, in the initial April vote, most of the Republicans in the State House voted against impeaching Jason Ravnsborg, with many arguing that Governor Noem was unfairly trying to target him. Republican rep. Tom Pischke made this claim at a press conference.
He said:
“Why is Governor Noem going to the mat to try and take this guy out? What does Jason have on her?”
Noem, a Republican, agreed with many members of her Democratic opposition that Ravnsborg needed to be removed. Many of the Democrats, such as Jamie Smith, the minority leader in the State house, said:
“I don’t believe he (Ravnsborg) ever thought he hit a deer.”
According to Law and Crime, there had been further outrage involving Boever’s family members, who believed Ravnsborg got off lightly with the misdemeanor charges due to his political influence and connection to the “Good old boy” network, a term for elite political sects.
However, Republicans once more defended the Attorney General, claiming that Ravnsborg wasn’t as powerful as many people may believe.
State representative Tony Randolph said:
“Jason Ravnsborg is not a member of the good old boy network. If he was, this wouldn’t be happening.”
Support for Ravnsborg quickly declined. According to the Washington Post, police groups, Republicans, and Democrats have all called for his resignation. A May poll showed that 70% of voters wanted him out.
Jason Ravnsborg, however, has stayed silent on the subject. In a conversation with Rolling Stone, South Dakota House Speaker Spencer Gosch, who — despite having voted against Ravnsborg’s impeachment — said he was at a loss as to why Attorney General was being so stubborn.
He said:
“Some of his closest friends have asked him to step down, and still he resists. I honestly couldn’t tell you why.”
This marks the first time that a government official has been impeached in the state of South Dakota.
