South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem may have "engaged in misconduct," ethics board says

A South Dakota ethics board on Monday said it found sufficient information that Gov. Kristi Noem may have "engaged in misconduct" when she intervened in her daughter's application for a real estate appraiser license, and it referred a separate complaint over her state airplane use to the state's attorney general for investigation.

The three retired judges on the Government Accountability Board determined that "appropriate action" could be taken against Noem for her role in her daughter's appraiser licensure, though it didn't specify the action.

The board's moves potentially escalate the ramifications of investigations into Noem. The Republican governor faces reelection this year and has also positioned herself as an aspirant to the White House in 2024. She is under scrutiny from the board after Jason Ravnsborg, the state's former Republican attorney general, filed complaints that stemmed from media reports on Noem's actions in office. She has denied any wrongdoing.