Wondering when they were going to get off the facebooks and twitters and say something about this;
SIOUX FALLS, SD -Â South Dakota Democrats are calling on Attorney General Marty Jackley to recuse himself from the state investigation into the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.
Last month, Governor Dennis Daugaard confirmed a state and federal investigation into alleged financial misconduct was underway in the office. Daugaard said the allegations took place prior to his administration.
South Dakota Democrats say Jackley, who was appointed by former Governor Mike Rounds, has a conflict of interest and can not conduct a ‘real investigation’ into that administration.
Jackley says because the alleged financial misconduct did not relate to the Attorney General’s Office there is no direct or indirect conflict. He also adds that the allegations do not relate to Rounds, so there is no conflict there either.
Jackley says the federal government has jurisdiction over the EB-5 immigration program that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office has said is the target of an FBI investigation.
Kind of reminds me of when Jackboots investigated the BK brothers in the SOS’s office for a crime he knew they would be innocent of, stealing from the state. Heck, a three-legged Corgi dog could have told you they weren’t stealing anything.
Even if Jackboots doesn’t think he has a conflict on the economic portion of the investigation, he certainly shouldn’t be looking into Benda’s death. BTW, how is that going . . .
I am happy to see that the Democrats are doing this, but are there any names of Democratic leaders attached to this press release?
I believe it would have been more effective if the Democrats would have held a press conference with the State Chairwomen and the Democratic leaders of the state legislature present. Like they did for the minimum wage initiative.
It is important that a Party literally owns it positions and takes pride in them and their efficacy. As an example, I believe this what is really wrong with Obamacare and its implementation. It has been a orphan project from day one and no one has ever really owned it.
Nope, Crago sent out a press release from his desk in headquarters from his internet computers. Go get em’ tiger!
Hopefully, what the SDDP has done today is part of a calculative and building strategy towards this issue, which will lead to more than just a generic public indictment of Jackleys obvious conflict of interest in his investigation of the EB-5 story. Or, perhaps there is division among South Dakota Democrats at the leadership level, and Mr. Crago in the meantime just wants to keep this story alive, but regardless, at some point prior to the beginning of the next legislative session or Jackley’s ability to whitewash this investigation, it is imperative that Democrats put a face on their allegations and challenges and do it with no shame or fear.
In recent years, the SDDP has done a great job as a referendum and/or initiative Party in the absence of a deep network of active Democrats and the ability to elect numerous Democrats to office, but if the SDDP is going to be more than just a press release Party or a Party that places issues on the ballot rather than US Senate candidates (2010) on the ballot, then it must change and begin to seize the moments offered to it, and this is no better moment to seize than the opportunity that the current EB-5 story has to offer.
Now the one great wild card in this EB-5 story is the apparent Federal investigation into this matter. We do not know the entire scope of the Federal investigation nor where it may lead, but the fact that the Federal investigation is being led by a Democratic U.S. Attorney should not itself give concerned Democrats, Republicans, and Independents in South Dakota total confidence in the equilibrium and eventual outcome of this story and its investigations. Not because Mr. Johnson will not do a good job, because I trust he and his staff will do a excellent job, but his job is limited by jurisdiction and State cooperation, which further demonstrates the need to erase any conflict of interest on the State side if we are going to get to the bottom of this story.
It is true that South Dakota Republicans could potentially lob a partisan allegation at US Attorney Johnson, given the fact that Rounds is seeking Mr. Johnson’s fathers Senate seat and the polling between Rounds and elder Johnson probably played a major part in the decision upon elder Johnson to not seek a fourth term, but such potential allegations can be negated by the truth; but this truth can only be developed if South Dakota Democrats demonstrate to the South Dakota people with more than just a brief press release, rather with faces and facts.
During Watergate, the phrase “follow the money” was born. Today, I would say that that phrase is still relevant, but you could also today say “fellow the internet and where it leads.” Type in the names of the key organizations and players in this current EB-5 story and you would be amazed at what is found. Statewide blogging sites have done a good job in presenting this story, but we all know that most South Dakotans do not read blogs and most of the mainstream media in this state has spent most of their time just regurgitating each others journalistic pieces on this story. Given the latter two facts, the realities of his story should be presented by the SDDP at a press conference backed up by the presence of State Democratic leaders to demonstrate Mr. Jackley’s obvious conflict of interest; and maybe they eventually will, but as we reflect upon the loss of President John F. Kennedy this week, I am reminded of something he once said:
“Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan.”
However, the outcome and the respect of a contest requires both teams to show-up and as long as we do not show-up as a Party then we cannot even be called an orphan, but unfortunately the truth behind the EB-5 story could be as a result.
The worst part about it, no matter who is found guilty in the end, we as taxpayers are taking it in the shorts, not just on taxdollars spent, but immigration reform and transparency.
Well, apparently if you are an affluent foreigner with $ 500,000 of chump change in your pocket you can get a green card rather easily by the same fine folks whose Republican colleagues in Washington constantly complain about our immigration policy and how there are too many illegal aliens in this country… go figure…
If it were a bicycle factory instead of a packing plant, the argus would be all over this.
I am still waiting for the story about Berez*, which Montgomery promised two weeks ago on a ‘100 Eyes.’
* Maurice Berez is the former chief Adjudication Officer of the EB-5 program within the USCIS and under Bush43, who went to work for the SDRC after leaving the USCIS in January of 2009.
You would think that when Chinese websites rank the SDRC as the number one RC in the US and the architect of the revised EB-5 program under Bush43 decides to come to SD after leaving Washington to work for the SDRC, that there might be a story here. The development of the aforementioned facts themselves would make for great reading if only the SD press would investigate a story rather than just regurgitate facts. The one exception is Mercer who actually reports on new findings when it comes to this story. But, with all do respect, having a reporter for the Capitol-Journal and the Rapid City Journal taking the leave on this story is analogous to having had the Cleveland Plain Dealer cover Watergate back in the day in the absence of the Washington Post and the New York Times. The East River press and in particular the press in Minnehaha County are failing in their coverage of this story…. Where is the fourth estate?!