Folks who ran for office here in South Dakota have eleven days to file their year-end campaign finance reports. As Bob Mercer noted Tuesday, that impending deadline has not stopped Secretary of State Shantel Krebs from unplugging the online campaign finance filing system for an upgrade. Secretary Krebs is busy—Mercer also reports that her office has processed 1,300 pistol permits since Krebs took charge on January 2. "Evidently," says Mercer, "a lot of public business had been left waiting for the new crew." (Yes, I do believe that is Mercer snarking on Gant again.)
Among other business Secretary Gant left for Secretary Krebs to handle is obtaining Chad Haber's delinquent campaign finance report. I check the campaign finance search portal and find that every statewide candidate from 2014 is up to date on filings except for the Libertarian candidate for Attorney General. Everyone else got their pre-general reports in by the October 24 deadline, with the exception of Constitution Party PUC candidate Wayne Schmidt, who waited until November 24. But Haber hasn't checked in with the state since September 2, when he declared on his financial interest statement that he had no sources of income greater than $2,000 and that his job was "full-time candidate."
You'd think a "full-time candidate" would have an easier time filing reports and following the law than those other poor slobs who ran for office while holding down regular jobs.
Secretary Krebs glances up from the big pile of papers on her desk and tells me that Haber faces a $3,000 penalty, the maximum allowed under SDCL 12-27-29.1. If he fails to file his year-end statement by February 2, Secretary Krebs will be able assess another $50 per day delinquent, up to another $3K.
Here's the campaign finance disclosure form—don't be late, candidates!
It sounds as though Gant and crew went on a two month vacation, no wonder Mrs. Krebs started the job at the earliest possible moment. Had Gant been a Democrat I'm sure we would have been hearing all about his incompetency in the MSM. He's a Republican........crickets.
CAH can the state sue Grant for damages for quitting work 4 months early , moving to Sioux Falls, drawing a paycheck while not performing his duties, and I am sure drawing expenses during this time?
No oldguy, since Gant is a Republican a lawsuit or even a news story is out of order.
Oldguy, I doubt that the state would file a lawsuit against Gant if Gant used the appropriate procedures to resign, and the governor approved it.
Where did you get your information that Gant quit working for the state? If the governor approved, Gant could have conceivably worked from home.
I got it from a person that used to work in that office. They said the Governor didn't even know he was gone. he would come back to Pierre 2-3 times a month. H never resigned he just left and set up his office in Sioux Falls.
Oldguy, I'm just guessing, but I'm betting the only action we can take against an employee who slacks off is to terminate that employee. And since Gant was elected, not hired, the Governor couldn't even do that. The Legislature could have impeached him, and Senator Adelstein held out that suggestion back in 2012, but the Legislature apparently didn't feel like addressing Gant's poor performance. Shantel Krebs and the party at least pushed him out of the office after just one term.
I don't think we have the option to sue any elected official for poor performance in office. But I'm curious: where is Jason Gant working now? What is he good enough at to get paid?
Regardless of Gant's abdication of his position, Krebs' decision to reconfigure the campaign finance filing system at the moment that reports are due is pretty inconvenient. Not good customer service.
Where's Tara?
I got the same crap on the mail today that Haber got from the Secretary of State to fill out before Feb 2. The final report, or you get fined. Whatever. Just more red tape and another wasted phone call to make to be sure we follow all the rules. Didn't get any donations but have to report.
I do not know Krebs reasonings, but I am guessing that she is trying to get people moving on what they need to get done instead of kicking the can further down the road.
11 days, that is almost two weeks, had Mr. Haber raised so much money, and/or spent so much money that he cannot get it together? Maybe he needs an accountant?
When I had a sales tax license I had to file a report every six months whether I had sold anything or not. I had to do that until I gave up my license.