Legislature's investigative committee juggling scandal hearings

December trial date of accused embezzler forces GOAC to bump inquiry back, fast track other inquiry

Members of the Government Operations and Audit Committee (GOAC) meet in the State Capitol. (Austin Goss/The Dakota Scout)

PIERRE — The South Dakota Legislature’s Government Operations and Audit Committee (GOAC) has its hands full with inquiries into malfeasance by state employees between now and the end of the year.

But a Dec. 4 trial date for accused thief Lonna Carroll is forcing the committee to bump back two day’s worth of hearings originally scheduled for October.

Members of GOAC voted Thursday to move hearings on Carroll’s alleged theft of nearly $2 million from the Department of Social Services back to Dec. 11 and 12, and to now use the originally scheduled special meeting planned for October for an inquiry into abuses of power that have taken place in the Department of Revenue. That meeting will take place Oct. 21.

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