SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A panel of lawmakers will spend three days in October investigating what’s gone wrong in two departments of South Dakota state government.
Former employees allegedly engaged in financial deceptions at the Department of Social Services and the Department of Revenue. The Attorney General says he will meet with lawmakers to give them his input.
The Division of Criminal Investigation is currently investigating several areas of state government. Attorney General Marty Jackley says he expects more charges to come out of those investigations.
In an interview this week, Jackley told us he plans to meet with members of the legislatures Government Operations and Audit Committee (GOAC). One of GOAC’s primary missions is to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of state agencies. Members have already indicated they are interested in what Jackley has to say.
“I plan to talk in general about what we’ve found and that helps them,” Jackley said. “I plan to talk about in general about the investigations and what we’ve found and that helps them better appreciate perhaps what safeguards can be put in place, additional resources for audits those kind of matters to better protect tax payer dollars.”
Jackley says with ongoing court cases he is constrained in what he can tell lawmakers. Like the one against Lonna Carroll, the former Department of Social Services worker accused of embezzling more than $1.7 million.
“I’m limited because these individuals are presumed innocent and I need to make sure I don’t do something as attorney general that would affect their ability to have a fair trial,” he said.
Jackley also says he plans to ask the legislature for tougher laws. He did the same thing back in 2017.
“I as Attorney General proposed stronger conflict of interest statutes, whistle blower protections for those employees who come forward as well as some mandatory reporting requirements to the Attorney General,” Jackley said.
Lawmakers passed some of those bills into law, but Jackley says now is an opportunity to strengthen some of them and revisit the ideas that were rejected.
