By JACK DURA and JOSH FUNK (Associated Press)
On Wednesday, a Democratic lawmaker called for an investigation into South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem’s trip to Texas for dental work and a promotional video where she talks about being happy with her new smile.
State Sen. Reynold Nesiba asked the Republican co-chairs of the Legislature’s Government Operations & Audit Committee to discuss the matter in July. He wanted to know if public funds were used for the trip and if the governor received a discount for the dental work because of the video.
Nesiba, a member of the audit committee, found the video strange and wants to know more about the governor's visit to the dental practice.
Nesiba questions whether public funds were used for the trip and if the governor received a discount.
Noem’s office did not respond to questions about the video, where she praised the dentists and staff at Smile Texas, a cosmetic dental practice in the Houston area.
In the video, Noem talked about the dentists that gave her a new smile. She also included clips of her speaking at a Republican Party event with Trump signs in the background.
A spokesperson for Smile Texas declined to comment, citing privacy laws. When asked if Smile Texas plans to use Noem’s video for promotion, the spokesperson said, “No, she posted that,” then hung up when asked again.
South Dakota law prohibits public officials from accepting gifts over $100 from lobbyists. The attorney general’s office did not say whether this applies to people who are not registered lobbyists.
The governor's video has raised concerns, especially since South Dakota recently spent $5 million on an ad campaign featuring Noem as a worker in various professions.
Nesiba believes the dental promotion undermines the state's investment in Noem as a spokesperson.
A former Republican state legislator who practiced dentistry for over 37 years in South Dakota sees no issue with Noem seeking care out of state. He mentioned that celebrities often give testimonials about dental work, so it shouldn't be a problem for a public official to do the same.
Miskimins stated that in America, everyone has the right to choose where they get their medical care.
In 2019, Noem was investigated for using a state plane to attend six events outside of South Dakota hosted by political organizations, but her office defended the trips as part of her work to strengthen the state’s economy.
Noem received criticism for having family members accompany her on several trips, but her office said she was following the example set by former governors.
The complaint over Noem’s flights to political events in 2022 was dismissed by South Dakota’s ethics board because the state law does not clearly define “state business.”
The state ethics board said Noem may have acted improperly when she got involved in her daughter’s application for a real estate appraiser license.
The governor intervened with a state agency after it had moved to deny her daughter’s application for an appraiser license in 2020. The meeting with her daughter, the labor secretary, and the then-director of the appraiser certification program discussed a plan to give the governor’s daughter, Kassidy Peters, another chance to show she could meet federal standards in her appraiser work.
Noem claimed that she followed the law in handling her daughter’s licensure and that Peters did not receive special treatment.
She was re-elected in 2022 with 62% of the vote.
Michael Card, a political science professor at the University of South Dakota, found it puzzling that the governor made a video like that and has no idea about her motivation.
Card noted that it is uncommon for an elected official to make an infomercial like that.
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Dura reported from Bismarck, North Dakota, and Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska.
