Washington, D.C. — Disgraced South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg has inexplicably been elected to vice chair of the Conference of Western Attorneys General (CWAG), a bipartisan group of attorneys general, despite the fact that he is currently preparing to stand trial for hitting and killing a man with his car under highly questionable circumstances nearly a year ago, the Associated Press reports. Government watchdog group Accountable.US released the following statement:

“It’s disappointing that top law enforcement officials have not only chosen to look past Ravnsborg’s alleged deadly negligence, but have voted to elevate him to this new leadership role, proving they believe one of their own is above the law. Ravnsborg has no business serving as South Dakota’s attorney general, and it calls into question CWAG’s judgement to elevate someone so reckless and irresponsible to such an influential post,” said Kyle Herrig, president of Accountable.US. 

Ravnsborg is facing criminal charges related to killing a man while driving “distracted” on his cell phone after a late-night Republican fundraiser. There has been strong bipartisan support for his resignation, including from Republican Governor Kristi Noem and large swaths of South Dakota law enforcement. Republican state legislators have also filed for impeachment. Ravnsborg is largely supported by the Republican Attorney General Association (RAGA), having donated over $100,000 to his campaign, and his donation page remains active on RAGA’s website. 

# # #

back to top