Press Releases
Round Up: Chorus Grows Louder on SD AG Ravnsborg’s Resignation — Yet RAGA Remains Silent
After pleading no contest to two charges for striking and killing a man last year, South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg was caught driving more than 20 mph above speed limit
Accountable.US: “It’s obvious Attorney General Ravnsborg has learned nothing after his reckless behavior cost a man his life”
Washington, D.C. — Despite broad bipartisan calls for his resignation, South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg refuses to step down from his role as the state’s top law enforcement official after he pleaded no contest to two charges for striking and killing Joe Boever last year while driving ‘distracted.’ Not only does the disgraced AG refuse to step down, he continues to act as if he is above the law: the Attorney General was pulled over for driving more than 20 miles an hour over the speed limit without his license, just days before his trial for killing Boever was to begin, according to the Hill Reporter. It was his seventh speeding ticket in seven years.
“It’s obvious Attorney General Ravnsborg has learned nothing after his reckless behavior cost a man his life,” said Kyle Herrig, president of Accountable.US. “Ravnsborg continues to act like he is above the law. Rather than show remorse, Ravnsborg has offered nothing but arrogance in the face of bipartisan calls to resign. His lack of judgment will harm South Dakotans as long as he continues serving as the state’s top law enforcement officer. He has to go, and yet inexplicably, RAGA remains one of the few allies at his side — even offering him a fundraising platform.”
“By refusing to step down, Ravnsborg is sending a message to the people of South Dakota that the powerful and well-connected are exempt from the consequences of their actions,” added Herrig. “Serving as a state’s top law enforcement official comes with great responsibility, and Ravnsborg has done nothing but make a mockery out of the role.”
Equally alarming is the continued support Ravnsborg is receiving from the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA), who not only haven’t condemned the attorney general for his actions, but have kept his donation page active on the RAGA website. The group is Ravnsborg’s largest contributor by far, having donated over $100,000 to his campaigns. It’s unclear why RAGA would continue to support Ravnsborg among the strong bipartisan support for his resignation, including from Republican Governor Kristi Noem, Department of Public Safety Secretary Craig Price, and large swaths of South Dakota law enforcement. Republican state legislators have filed for impeachment, and the Army Reserves placed a hold on his military promotion, yet RAGA has failed to even comment on the issue.
Accountable.US recently penned a letter to Republican Attorney General Association (RAGA) Chairman South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, Policy Chairman Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, and RAGA Executive Director Peter Bisbee calling on them to demand Ravnsborg’s resignation and cut ties with him.
Read more on Ravnsborg’s many traffic violations and the bipartisan calls for his resignation below:
- ABC News: South Dakota governor sends AG crash investigation to House
- Daily Beast: South Dakota Public Safety Head: AG Should Have Faced Manslaughter Charges
- Grand Forks Herald: South Dakota Public Safety secretary: AG Ravnsborg should’ve been charged with felony manslaughter
- Hill Reporter: Embattled South Dakota Attorney General Cited for Speeding en Route to Hit-and-Run Trial
- KELO: S.D. House leaders to decide whether to impeach AG Ravnsborg or not
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