Noem credit card review important

An amazing thing happened in South Dakota recently. Citizens were able to see the detailed expenditures of a government official and the sky didn’t fall.
Of course, I’m talking about recent news reporting about credit card expenses from former Gov. Kristi Noem’s time in office and the last year of former Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s tenure.
The Dakota Scout initially requested the credit card records in May 2024. That request was denied by state auditor Rich Sattgast in June. The Scout filed a suit in September in response to the denial. Earlier this year, Sattgast and The Scout reached a settlement that led to the release of about 4,000 pages of redacted credit card bills, state vouchers and submitted receipts from Noem’s tenure as governor.
In recent weeks, The Scout and other news outlets in the state have reported on details of the $750,000 billed to Noem’s two state-issued credit cards during her six years in office. Many expenses routine and mundane: lunch at Culver’s and coffee at Starbucks. Other details rather extraordinary, such as lodging at the Venetian, a luxury resort in Las Vegas. The Scout and Sioux Falls Live teamed up to create a searchable online database of the credit card records.
Back to the sky not falling.
A chief reason given for denying The Scout’s request was that it could jeopardize the governor’s safety and security because the documents included detailed information about the security provided to the governor. Certainly, a legitimate concern.
Similar concerns were raised in 2021 when legislators introduced bills attempting to seek disclosure of taxpayer money used to provide security for the governor and other public officials.
As the excellent reporting by The Scout and others has demonstrated these past few weeks, it is indeed possible to provide citizens with essential information about the use of taxpayer money without jeopardizing the safety and security of our public officials. It’s that simple. It can be done.
Time and again when attempts are made to strengthen public access to government records and meetings in South Dakota, we are met by a tidal wave of reasons and excuses why it can’t be done. Some of them legitimate and much of them simply a smokescreen and a bluff.
Fortunately, The Scout called the bluff and doggedly pursued what should be basic taxpayer-rights information and – by the way – is a no-brainer public record in most any other state.
Which brings me to the rest of the story. Since The Scout broke the news about Noem’s credit cards, the newspaper and its staffers have become the targets of intimidation and legal threats brought by Noem and allies. It’s similar to what we’ve seen elsewhere – attack, intimidate and even sue the press into submission.
On March 7, Noem’s personal lawyer threatened to sue The Scout over its reporting, claiming “false, misleading and inaccurate statements” about the credit cards. Washington, D.C., attorney Trevor Stanley demanded the newspaper cease and desist its reporting. “Otherwise, we will consider all legal remedies, including a lawsuit seeking maximum compensatory and punitive damages, that we estimate at millions of dollars,” Stanley wrote in an email to The Scout.
Scout co-founders Jonathan Ellis and Joe Sneve responded, in part saying: “We stand by our reporting and consider it an honor to bring the truth about government spending to South Dakotans. And we’re always willing to defend it in a court of law, too.”
Within hours of the cease-and-desist letter being delivered to The Scout, Fox News published a story about the Noem team demanding an end to the “fake news.” This past week, Sioux Falls Live reported about a political action committee with ties to Noem running paid social media posts trying to discredit The Scout and its coverage of Noem.
Sadly, it all sounds rather familiar, don’t you think? Thank goodness for a free and independent press protected by the First Amendment in our United States Constitution.
And by the way, federal law also makes it a crime to conspire to threaten or intimidate any person who is exercising their rights and privileges guaranteed in the Constitution. (See 18 U.S.C. §241)
Why does any of this matter to you?
This is not simply a skirmish between a public official and a newspaper. It's about accountability in government and your right as a citizen to know how your tax dollars are being spent.
The week of March 16-22 is Sunshine Week. It’s the annual observance of why open government is essential to good government. Here is my wish list for Sunshine Week: The day comes soon when public access to basic government information – such as the expenditure of taxpayer dollars – is the norm and not the exception in our state.
In the meantime, the work to protect and enhance the public’s right to know goes on. Even in South Dakota.
David Bordewyk is executive director at South Dakota NewsMedia Association, which
represents the state’s newspapers and digital news outlets.