“The House of Representatives has voted and I respect the procedure, but I look forward to the Senate trial, where I believe I will be vindicated,” Ravnsborg said in a statement. The South Dakota House of Representatives for the first time in the state adopted referral articles for a holder of constitutional office, condemning the 45-year-old Republican for his behavior in connection with an accident in 2020 that killed a pedestrian. The vote, 36-31, defies a March 28 recommendation by a special committee of inquiry that Ravnsborg’s actions were not tantamount to offense, and sparks a lawsuit in the Senate that will decide whether Ravnsborg will be forced to do so. to resign from office. “We were happy and this man who came with him took it; it’s just unforgivable,” Joseph Bover’s widow Jennifer told reporters as she held up a photo of herself and her late husband on their wedding day. “Well, I’m glad we got the vote here and now we just need the help of the Senate on that.”
“His attention was not where it should be: On the road”
According to the South Dakota Patrol, Ravnsborg’s vehicle veered off the road before hitting Boever, who was walking along the shoulder of Highway 14 near Highmore on the night of September 12, 2020. Ravnsborg claims he did not know what hit him. but that he was “just on the road” when the collision occurred. Reference: Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg forced to take leave after vote Investigators, however, say Ravsnborg was distracted, unaware of what caused the distraction, and indicated he may have seen Boever’s body before leaving the crash site. Authorities were not informed of Boever’s death until the following morning, when Ravnsborg said he discovered the body after returning to Highmore to leave a borrowed vehicle he used to return home the night before. The Parliamentary Select Committee of Inquiry, formed in November 2021 following the resolution of a criminal case in Ravnsborg, found in its 22-page report that there was uncertainty about the whereabouts of Boever and Ravnsborg’s vehicle when the collision occurred. All seven Republicans on the committee ruled that any crimes committed on the night of the crash were not offenses that could be prosecuted. These legal violations, it was decided, were either common or did not directly contribute to Boever’s death. Read more: Read Jason Ravnsborg’s letter to lawmakers before the motion of censure The majority of Parliament, however, did not agree. Will Mortenson’s spokesman, R-Pierre, said the facts were clear that Ravnsborg’s actions had caused Boever’s death. And to suggest that he was not distracted at the time of the crash means he knew what hit him when he hit it, he said. “If you think he saw the man and that he was careful and that he was not distracted, then we are talking about a much more serious crime here,” Mortenson said. “I’m not claiming this crime at the moment, I’re just saying that his attention was not on it: On the road.”
Noem responded to the vote with a tweet of a proposal
None of the 31 dissenting lawmakers offered a pre-vote debate, though there was enough during a closed-door meeting between Republicans to begin the morning, which those in the room described as “tense.” Following the vote, Tony Randolph, R-Rapid City MP, told reporters he did not support the motion because he considered the whole process to be jeopardized by a policy unrelated to Boever’s death. In particular, Governor Christie Noem’s frequent public statements paused. “It was scary,” he said. “It was very, very intense and surrounded by politics. This could have been done in a more honest way … I think the executive, which stood at any point, helped to change the context of this whole thing. I think it would be better. let the governor leave things to himself and let him play by himself “. Noem responded to the news on Tuesday’s quote with a post on social media. Today, the House of Representatives did the right thing for the people of South Dakota and the family of Joe Bover. – Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) April 12, 2022 “Today, the House of Representatives has done the right thing for the people of South Dakota and the family of Joe Bover,” he said. With the approval of the referral articles, the Senate will hold a trial on May 2 at the earliest, based on the timetable protocols set out in the state Constitution. However, Pro-Tempore Senate President Lee Schoenbeck, R-Watertown, said a trial may not begin until early June. In the meantime, Ravnsborg must take leave of office until the trial is over. Asked who will head the office by then, Ravnsborg chief of staff Tim Bormann said deputy chief executive Charlie McGuigan would lead day-to-day operations. “The Attorney General’s Office is authorized under SDCL 1-11-4 to perform the office’s duties and it is the Office’s intention to be professionally committed to the work required of the office,” he wrote.
