The South Dakota House of Representatives voted Tuesday to impeach State Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg. over a car crash he was involved in back in 2020.
Ravnsborg killed the pedestrian, but first said he might have hit a deer or other large animal.
Republican party attorney general abandoned the competition in august 2021 as a couple of traffic violations in in crashincluding illegal lane changes. He filmed the role of Joseph Bover. death like a tragic accident.
AT vote of 36-31, Ravnsborg, who took office in 2019, became first official be impeached in North Dakota history.
As a result he will be removed from office pending trial in the Senate, which may lead to his permanent removal from office if a two-thirds majority votes condemn him.
Republican Rep. Will Mortenson, who filed two articles of impeachment, said on Tuesday vote would set a precedent.
“Never before in our state history was it a state official criminally ended his life of one of our citizens and refused it post” Mortenson said. on house floor Tuesday, according to the LA Times. “I consider impeachment should be reserved only for serious and exceptional circumstances, and I believe that this one”.
“Our chief law enforcement officer misled law enforcement during the investigation. of these crimes, Mortenson added.
In a statement after vote, Ravnsborg said: “I respect the process, but I look forward in the Senate, where I believe I will be acquitted.”
Ravnsborg lawyer Tim Rensch said last year that AG “does not want this guy die”, insisting on fatal crash was random.
“Accidents happen people dieRensch said. “No one blames family for dislikes the person who involved.”
The prosecutor’s office dropped the third charge of reckless driving. The judge fined Ravnsborg $500. on each account was also ordered to pay more over $3,000 to cover expenses related to with stage safety of in fatal crash. He was not given any jail time.
Rensch said that it was “totally false that Ravnsborg should have known that he hit man who claims to be left scene without malice and steadfastly maintained his innocence.
“I didn’t see him,” said Ravnsborg. “I didn’t see anything. I didn’t know this was the man before next day.”
Republican Gov. Christy Noem stepped up pressure last month on lawmakers to impeach Ravnsborg, echoing her calls for him to be removed from office.
Noem applauded Dom after Tuesday vote, writing on Twitter“Today the House of The representatives did the right thing. for in people of South Dakota and for Joe Bovera family”.
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