South Dakota's top attorney joins chorus of elected officials condemning Trump verdict
Congressional delegation, Gov. Noem, Jackley challenge legal findings in former president's felony charges
A decision by a New York City jury to find former President Donald Trump guilty of 34 felony charges isn’t sitting well with South Dakota’s political leaders, with the state’s top attorney now expressing “deep concerns” about the case.
Gov. Kristi Noem, as well as U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds and John Thune had put out statements by Friday criticizing the decision to pursue criminal charges against Trump — who is the presumptive Republican nominee for the presidency.
Congressman Dusty Johnson joined the chorus of critics Friday evening.
“I’ve had concerns about this prosecution for a while, and it’s not just me,” Johnson said in a statement to The Dakota Scout. “The courts owe the American people swift resolution of the former president’s appeal.”
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Jackley, the only attorney of the five politicians and a longtime state and federal prosecutor, also questioned the handling of the case and called it a failure of the Biden Administration.
“I have deep concerns about the handling of the case against former President Trump, which is furthered by the U.S. Attorney and FEC’s decisions to not prosecute it,” Jackley said to The Scout, noting that irregularities would be addressed during the appeals process. “In the meantime, this trial has unfortunately further divided our country in the middle of an election. The disruption and failure of leadership by the Biden Administration is unprecedented and a good reminder that we need to keep DC politics out of South Dakota.”
Rounds raised similar concerns about how the verdict could impact unity in the country, while also speculating that the verdict could boost Trump’s chances of regaining the White House.
“The left is so disconnected from the pulse of America,” Rounds wrote. “They’ve underestimated the disgust with Washington D.C. and the bureaucracy that is crushing families and the economy. Now, they’ve opened a Pandora’s box.”
Thune and Noem, who have both endorsed Trump in his re-election bid, took a stronger approach — the latter of which in particular. The state’s senior senator called the case “politically motivated,” and the product of a “partisan nature(d)” prosecution.
Noem, the most staunch Trump supporter of South Dakota’s statewide elected politicians, spent the 24 hours after the verdict making television appearances and rallying to the former president’s defense on social media.
Trump has not always elicited unity among the state’s top Republicans. Noem criticized the congressional delegation last year at a Trump rally in Rapid City for not attending, and Johnson and Rounds have both so far shied away from endorsing the candidate even as he has creeped further towards securing the nomination.
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But like many Republicans across the country, the legal prosecutions of Trump — who faces three additional federal and state cases, as well as a civil judgement on appeal in New York — has galvanized support for the 45th president. Both polls and betting markets show Trump as the favorite in the general election later this year.
Trump’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 11, just days before the Republican national convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
It would be nice if our South Dakota elected Republican “leaders” would support the rule of law which is much more than Cult leader Trump ever does! Trump could have testified under oath and said all the things that he only proclaims in front of television cameras and microphones. His only priority seems to be his own skin . Republicans might want to ask themselves what they stand for.
Trump was found guilty by the jury. Biden nor the judge found him guilty. He is appealing. Does the rule of law mean nothing to the Republican Party.? Is it ok with them that he paid off a porn star to help him get elected President? These comments by our elected officials are disappointing.