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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 23 augusT 2022

Man admits faking

death to avoid sex

abuse charges

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC),
Feb. 25, 2022, in Orlando, Fla.
Associated Press
Ethics board: SD Gov. Noem may have

‘engaged in misconduct’

By STEPHEN GROVES procedures that allow for eral’s office for further in-
Associated Press a contested case hear- vestigation. That puts the
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A ing to give Noem, who investigation under the
South Dakota ethics board has denied wrongdoing, a oversight of the interim at-
on Monday said it found chance to publicly defend torney general, Mark Var- Jacob Blair Scott, who is accused of sexually assaulting a
sufficient information that herself against allegations go, who was appointed by minor, cries out while being cross-examined by Assistant
Gov. Kristi Noem may have of “misconduct” related to Noem. District Attorney Justin Lovorn, during his trial in Jackson
“engaged in misconduct” “conflicts of interest” and “We will be diligent in our County Circuit Court in Pascagoula, Miss., on Wednesday,
June 1, 2022.
when she intervened in “malfeasance.” The board duty and thoroughly inves- Associated Press
her daughter’s application also dismissed Ravnsborg’s tigate the complaint that
for a real estate appraiser allegations that Noem mis- the General Accountability
license, and it referred a used state funds in the epi- Board has presented to the MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — A military veteran pleaded guilty
separate complaint over sode. However, the retired Attorney General’s Office,” in federal court Monday to faking his own death off the
her state airplane use to judges left it unclear how he said in a statement. “ Alabama coast to try to avoid sexual abuse charges
the state’s attorney gen- they will proceed. Lori Wil- The investigation, as with all in Mississippi.
eral for investigation. bur, the board chair, said other investigations, will re- Jacob Blair Scott pleaded guilty to charges of sending
The three retired judges on the complaint was “par- main confidential as does a false distress call that led to a Coast Guard search;
the Government Account- tially dismissed and partial- the complaint that has illegally shipping weapons across state lines and giving
ability Board determined ly closed,” but added that been presented to us. We false information, according to court records.
that “appropriate action” the complaint could be have no other comment at A federal judge will sentence Scott in November. He
could be taken against reopened. She declined to this time.” was already sentenced to serve 85 years in prison in
Noem for her role in her discuss what would cause The board handled the Mississippi after he was convicted of sexually assault-
daughter’s appraiser licen- the board to reopen the complaints only by case ing a girl and impregnating her when he was 40 and
sure, though it didn’t speci- complaint. number and did not refer she was 14.
fy the action. The board can issue a pub- to Noem directly in either Scott was facing charges of assaulting the girl when
The board’s moves poten- lic or private reprimand or case. Ravnsborg provided he faked his death in July 2018. The Orange Beach
tially escalate the ramifica- direct an official to do com- the case numbers to The Police Department responded to a call for assistance
tions of investigations into munity service. It can also Associated Press. and found a small boat in the Gulf of Mexico, about a
Noem. The Republican make recommendations “Knowing what I know as mile away from shore, with a gun tied to it. The dinghy
governor faces reelection to the governor — though the complainant, Gov. was empty except for a suicide note.
this year and has also po- that option seems unlikely Noem should be fully in- Authorities searched for a body for more than a week
sitioned herself as an aspi- since the complaints are vestigated for her abuse in the Gulf of Mexico.
rant to the White House in leveled against Noem. of power in getting her Scott was captured in early 2020 at an RV park in Okla-
2024. She is under scrutiny The complaints are prov- daughter an appraiser li- homa, where he was living under another name.
from the board after Jason ing to be the first major cense, and Gov. Noem A Mississippi jury in June convicted him of multiple sex-
Ravnsborg, the state’s for- test of the board, which should be prosecuted for ual battery and child abuse charges.
mer Republican attorney was launched in 2017 in re- her criminal use of state re- According to the Sun-Herald, the victim tearfully testi-
general, filed complaints sponse to several scandals sources for personal gain,” fied at the trial about how Scott had sexually assaulted
that stemmed from media in state government. It has he said in a statement. her at least 30 times over several months beginning in
reports on Noem’s actions never taken public action The board plans to pub- 2016 and ending in 2017 when she learned she was
in office. She has denied against a state official. licly release the complaint pregnant.
any wrongdoing. The retired judges also re- over the appraiser license Scott is a military veteran who was awarded a Purple
After meeting in a closed- ferred a complaint that for Noem after redacting Heart in 2011 for injuries he received while deployed
door session for one hour Noem flew on state-owned some sections. It did not in Iraq, according to the U.S. Marshals Service, which
Monday, the board voted airplanes to political events give a date for when that had once listed him as one of its 15 most-wanted
unanimously to invoke to the state attorney gen- will happen.q fugitives.q