After reports of former Gov. Kristi Noem’s expenditures on the state credit card went public, lawmakers are asking for accountability of the state’s highest office.
The Dakota Scout released records showing over $700,000 billed to the Governor’s office during Noem’s tenure. As a result, the state Government Operations and Audit Committee, or GOAC, is questioning the process for state official credit card expenses.
State credit cards are supposed to be use for travel-related expenses that relate to the Governor’s office, including meals, flights, hotel rooms and security detail.
State legislators pressed Bureau of Finance and Management Commissioner Jim Terwilliger about Noem’s use of credit card funds. He said a lot of specifics, such as the number of people with state credit cards, can’t be shared publicly because they relate to the governor’s safety.
“Let’s be honest, our governor’s been in the office for about 100 days. The first week he was in office somebody was arrested for threatening him," Terwilliger said. "And so, we take that serious and so I’m not going to give you a specific number of cards, but there’s not very many."
He added there is a process in place to prevent personal purchases being made.
“If there is something that is disallowed, or sometimes, if it happens to be somebody makes some type of a personal purchase, either that gets caught through the process and either there’ll be a personal check that is written or money that is included with the payment that goes back to First Premier [Bank]," Terwilliger said.
Sen. Taffy Howard is the GOAC chair. She raised questions over several $500 purchases for Sirius XM Radio.
"The taxpayers have an issue with that. I have an issue with that,” Howard said.
Rep. Marty Overweg also saw issue with the current process.
“You know, you said the finance officer, or whatever, inside the governor’s office looks first at the credit card bills. Well, he works for the governor, or she," Overweg said. "I mean, that’s like me telling my wife that when I get the credit card bill, ‘Sorry, that’s not an approved expense on the credit card.’ Ain’t going to go very far, right? I mean I’m going to get told off. So I mean, there has to be checks and balances."
Terwilliger said one of the changes made is going forward, the governor’s personal travel expenses are separated from security detail expenses so more answers can be provided. However, legislators indicated they wanted a long-term solution.
State officials said the legislature has the power to tighten the rules on state credit card use via legislation if they wish to do so.
