Johnson v. Noem in 2026?

In 2014 the late Jean Rounds pleaded with her husband not to run for the US Senate but Reich Mike Rounds knew he had to run to stall then-US Attorney for the District of South Dakota Brendan Johnson from opening an investigation of Rounds' role in Bendagate to the public. 

USAs for the Districts of North Dakota and South Dakota, Tim Purdon and Johnson left their posts in 2015 to join Minneapolis-based Robins Kaplan, LLC. Both are enjoying successful law practices and could win statewide elections in their home states with their pants around their ankles. But, reaping the lucrative tort whirlwind is far more profitable than public service is. 

Brendan's father, Democratic Senator Tim Johnson brought the need for a research facility in the former Homestake Mine to Congress and worked tirelessly to bring the project to fruition. But Sen. Johnson and Earth hating then-US Representative Kristi Noem were on opposite sides of the Violence Against Women's Act in 2013. In 2016, Tim Johnson's South Dakota First Political Action Committee advocated for the establishment of nonpartisan elections in South Dakota: a forerunner of Amendment H. 

Today as governor Mrs. Noem failed on a COVID response, has failed on flood decisions and to bury her past criticisms of Donald Trump she deleted her old twitter feed so if Rounds resigned today she would simply appoint herself to the seat.

With NDN Collective and the Oglala Lakota Nation pressing the US Department of Justice to investigate the Rapid City Police Department Brendan Johnson was recently interviewed as part of a wider probe of rampant police brutality and "officer involved shootings" in the reservation border town.

So with the passing of Tim Johnson the future of the republic is too important to ignore.

A statement from Johnson’s family said “Tim always quipped that neither the left, nor the right, had a monopoly on all of the good ideas, but that working together, we can find common ground for the good of our country. In his work and life, Tim showed us never to give up. He will be missed. Our lives are fuller for having been loved and supported by him.” [Longtime Senator Tim Johnson dead at 77]

ip photo: Sen. Tim Johnson attending the 2014 South Dakota Democratic Party's State Convention in Yankton.