According to a report from the Daily Beast's Tom Lawrence, embattled South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg (R) is on the precipice of impeachment after lawmakers in the state were given access to more information about his hit and run accident back in 2020 where he hit a man with his car and then drove off, leaving him to die.
To date, the conservative lawmaker has avoided any serious punishment over the death of Joe Boever despite evidence he had to know he had hit the man while being distracted looking at his cell phone.
As the Beast reports, "After the crash, Ravnsborg dialed 911, saying he struck something 'in the middle of the road,' but did not know what he hit. It was only later revealed that Boever’s face came through Ravnsborg’s windshield, and his shattered eyeglasses were found inside the vehicle," adding, "The troopers said Boever was on the vehicle for at least 100 feet before he was deposited at the side of the road, a leg severed. He died on impact. Ravnsborg has insisted he had no idea who or what he struck, at least at first, but law enforcement officials who investigated the crash have cast doubt on that."
According to the new report, despite Gov. Kristi Noem's efforts to oust him, he is still hanging on but that may be coming to an end.
Lawrence wrote, "a growing swath of his own GOP, who dominate the state legislature a... face a key step next week in deciding whether to impeach him," with State Rep. Charlie Hoffman (R) admitting he had been on the fence until seeing evidence handed over by law enforcemnet officials last Wednesday.
“After seeing the length of time Mr. Boever’s body was on the AG’s car with his head inside of the AG’s car’s window, and then flying off hitting the middle of the lane behind the AG’s car, leaving bone fragments on the road and skidding into the ditch at 65 mph, my mind has changed,” Hoffman explained. “I now have irrefutable evidence the AG knew exactly what he hit and lied to investigators and the Hyde County sheriff.”
Lawrence wrote, "After a months-long criminal investigation, Ravnsborg—who never even appeared in court—was only charged with three misdemeanors. As part of a plea deal, he pleaded no contest to two minor charges, was fined $1,000, paid $3,000 in court costs. and was ordered to promote safe driving. He reached an undisclosed settlement with Boever’s widow.," adding, "Initial impeachment hearings were launched in February 2021, only to be halted after Noem released two videos of Ravnsborg giving lengthy interviews with North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation agents."
Reluctant State Rep. Fred Deutsch (R) has also come out in favor of impeachment after balking, telling the Beast, "This has perhaps been the most difficult decision I’ve had to make in my life."
Deutsch added, "I expect there will be a vote. I really don’t have a feel how the vote will turn out other than I expect it to be close.”
You can read more here.
