PIERRE, SD (AP) – South Dakota House on Tuesday charged Attorney General Jason Rawnsborg for a 2020 vehicle collision in which he killed a pedestrian, but initially said he may have hit a deer or other animal. . large size.
Ravensborg, Republican, South Dakota was the first official in history to be impeachable. He will be temporarily removed from office pending a historic Senate hearing in which a two-thirds majority is required for impeachment sentences. The Senate must wait at least 20 days for the hearing to take place, but has not yet set a date.
Ravnsborg Has Not Declared Competition There have been several traffic accidents in the past year, including an illegal lane change. He regarded the death of Joseph Bower as a tragic accident.
In a narrow vote to impeach the state attorney general, the Republican-controlled chamber accused Ravensborg of committing a crime that resulted in the death of a person, providing “a lot of disinformation” to law enforcement after the incident and used his office to prosecute. The Senate rulings mean Ravnsborg will be barred from holding public office in the future.
“When it comes to the life of one of your fellow citizens, I think it’s been hard for everyone,” said Republican Congressman Will Mortenson, who shared articles on the impeachment.
Ravensborg said in a statement that he looks forward to the Senate trial, “where I believe he will be acquitted.”
Meanwhile, Tim Bormann, the Attorney General’s chief of staff, said his staff would “be professional” in their jobs before Ranvsborg was forced to leave.
Rawnsborg, who will take office in 2019, was on his way home from a Republican dinner in September 2020 when he shot and killed a beaver traveling on a rural highway. The sheriff, who responded after Ravnsborg called emergency services, first said it was a collision with an animal. Ravensborg said he did not realize he had hit the man until he returned the next day and found the body.
The Highway Patrol determined that Rawnsborg’s car had completely crossed the side of the highway before colliding with a Bower, and criminal investigators later said they did not believe some of Rawnsborg’s claims.
The House rejected a recommendation for a majority report backed by Parliament by the Special Commission of Inquiry, according to which everything he did was not part of his official duties. “In the office.” But even Republican lawmakers, who have argued that his actions do not meet the constitutional grounds for impeachment, have said Ravensborg should step down.
“Should he resign, he should have done an honorable job,” said House spokesman Spencer Gosh, who led the Chamber’s investigation and voted against the impeachment.
The article of impeachment requires the approval of a majority of 70 members of the House and is approved by one vote.
Of the 36 people who supported him, eight were Democrats and 28 Republicans. 31 is against all Republicans. Republican Representative Scott Odenbach declined because he provided legal advice to the Attorney General after the incident. No other two Republican lawmakers were present.
Rawnsborg, who remained silent about the incident and did not take part in the polls, sent several provocative letters to lawmakers on Monday night urging them not to impeach him.
“In a few hours, your vote will set a precedent for years to come,” Ravnsborg wrote. “No state has filed an elected official for an automobile accident.”
After Ravansborg confronted the governor after the incident, he filed the couple’s Ethical Complaints against Naomi Council for state government accountability. His office is also investigating whether an organization affiliated with the governor violated campaign finance laws.
Noem praised the vote on Twitter, writing that “the House did the right thing for the people of South Dakota and for the Joe Bower family.”
The decision brought little comfort to her family, who were looking at her wedding photo while voting from the home gallery. They criticized the accusation as a “flick of the wrist” in Ravnsborg.
“We have taken a step towards justice. We’re not done yet, ”said Bower’s cousin Nick Nemeck.
“Now we just need the help of the Senate on this issue, because these laws need to be seriously changed,” said Jennifer Bover, who is married to Bower. “People were injured and killed and pedestrians had no protection against a 4,000-pound (1,814 kilogram) car.”
Source: Huffpost
