1/6/21

Guest post: Seward will replace Ravnsborg

After more than 100 days of investigation, embattled South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg will be relieved of his post pending release of detailed confirmation of his September 12th distracted driving killing of pedestrian Joseph Boever near Highmore. 

Ravnsborg told 911 operators that he thought he might have hit a deer after hitting Boever who was walking on the shoulder of the Highway when he was struck by Ravnsborg's car. 

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem spent recent weeks vetting potential replacements for Ravnsborg, with former Bllack Hills Corporation Vice President Jim Seward Jr. the frontrunner and likely choice. Noem recently expressed public frustration at the delay in reaching conclusive finding regarding the nature of Ravnsborg's inattentiveness behind the wheel in the moments prior to the accident. 

Critics have already voiced concern about the pick given swirling grist regarding circumstances of Seward Jr.'s involuntary exit from Black HIlls Corp., where he most recently served as Vice President of Wyoming Operations. Sources say complaints from female coworkers regarding unwanted attention led to Seward's eventual ouster. 

Seward previously served as General Counsel for South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard before leaving in 2016 to take the Black Hills Corp. position. 

Ravnsborg meanwhile is presently in Washington D.C. where he will deliver one of South Dakota's three electoral votes to tomorrow's tally of the Electoral College. 

It's not clear whether Ravnsborg will be given the option of resignation or will be fired.

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