SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A Grand Jury indicted 55-year-old Renee Lynn Strong of Springfield on 26 forgery-related charges.
Strong was a food inspector who is accused of submitting food inspection reports without actually doing the inspections at restaurants and other businesses that sell food.
This latest case brings the total number of DCI investigations into wrong doing by state employees to four. And the Attorney General was clear more arrests could be coming.
“There are additional investigations occurring that I’ve spoken to and it would not be appropriate at this time,” Jackley told us on Tuesday at a press conference in Sioux Falls.
With more investigations underway, Jackley is calling for changes in Pierre. He plans to introduce legislation that would require state employees to notify the Attorney General’s Office of suspected felonies. Jackley also talked about giving more teeth to the state’s auditing process.
He also wants to expand whistle-blower protections and increase transparency into state business.
“I would tell you that the legislation that I have drafted has gone to LRC for final editing and it will go to the chairs of the respective, typically judiciary sometimes it is state affairs, and then it will be made public hopefully well in advance of the session,” said Jackley.
State lawmakers like Representative David Kull of Brandon are well aware of the fraud and theft cases. Kull, a retired police chief, sits on the Judiciary Committee and believes the legislature will be receptive.
“With the investigations going on I anticipate that the Attorney General’s office has identified some areas that could use some help. Our job will be to take a look at the legislation that’s brought in, go through it, listen to testimony and then make a decision. I anticipate that what we will get is going to make sense,” said Kull.
Governor Kristi Noem says she supports legislation that would add clearer and stronger accountability measures for the state’s 14,000 employees. The 100th South Dakota legislative session opens on January 14th.
