Our state’s top political appointments (cabinet level, executive staff, our state “lobbyist,” etc.) have contributed over $100,000 to the campaigns of South Dakota GOP candidates. This has continued a pattern of “pay-to-play” that has gone on in the Governor’s Mansion for years.

Under our current Administration, South Dakota taxpayers have hired a lobbyist and paid him a six-figure sum each year. The same lobbyist has turned around and contributed tens of thousands of dollars each political cycle to South Dakota and out-of-state GOP candidates.

South Dakota has a lobby in Washington and their names are Johnson, Thune and Herseth-Sandlin. Our state needs to hire and appoint people based on their ability, ingenuity and drive; not based on their history of giving massive political contributions to a political party and its candidates.