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5:47 pm, April 30, 2013
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More interesting tidbits from the Dykstra interview

Earlier, I transcribed every reference to Rep. Stace Nelson from the Gary Dykstra interview that attorney Joel Arends said implicated Nelson in last year’s robocall campaign.

That’s not all that’s interesting in the 72-page transcript, the accuracy of which Dykstra affirmed in an affidavit. A few other choice bits:

Involvement of other conservative activists

On pages 37 and 38, Arends asks Dykstra if, in addition to Daniel Willard and Stace Nelson, state Rep. Manny Steele or Lincoln County Republican Party chair Betty Otten (who beat Arends to win the post) were involved in the robocalls.

To each, Dykstra answers with a succinct “no.”

The Ron Paul campaign

On page 31, Arends asked Dykstra if he knew that Willard “went out and bought a TracFone at Wal-Mart?”

“It wouldn’t surprise me. I mean, we used some TracFones for the Ron Paul campaign,” Dykstra replied.

Dykstra and the grand jury

In the interview, Dykstra discloses that he testified to the grand jury in the criminal robocall case against Willard. On page 66, Arends asks Dykstra if there is “anything you have told me here today that would be inconsistent with that, with what you told those proceedings?”

“I don’t think so, but — I — not to my knowledge, I guess,” Dykstra replied.

Dykstra’s deal

At the end of the two-hour interview, Dykstra’s attorney Brad Schrieber reads a statement into the record about the agreement that led to the interview.

“Part of the agreement was that in cooperation for that there would be no civil liability, or Gary would not be brought in as a defendant in this lawsuit or any other lawsuit by Joel or his client related to this matter,” Schrieber said.

Regrets, he has a few

“Was there any thought of, you know, asking for advice from legal counsel (during the robocall campaign)?” Arends asked Dykstra.

“Unfortunately not,” Dykstra replied.

Tags: Joel Arends Stace Nelson Ron Paul Manny Steele Betty Otten

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5:47 pm, October 31, 2012
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The Storm of Paul: Dan Kaiser isn’t happy. The above postcard, from the South Dakota Democratic Party, criticizes Kaiser for his support for two-time presidential candidate Ron Paul. Specifically, it ties him to three ideas the postcard associates with Paul: end farm subsidies, “abolish” Social Security and legalize drugs (links go to the sources provided on the postcard). “It’s blatantly untrue. The three issues they bring forward are untrue,” Kaiser said. “It’s a malicious attack. Two of the three are federal issues I’ve made no comments or statements on.” The third, drug legalization, Kaiser spoke carefully. “My two opponents up here both said at a public forum they’re both open to the legalization of drugs, while I don’t believe that’s the correct course for South Dakota,” Kaiser said. But he’s open to changing drug laws. “If we want to talk about the finite ins and outs of decriminalization versus legalization…” Kaiser said. He said he was offended by the use of a police officer in the photo under the “drug laws eliminated” caption, noting he’s approaching his 10th year as a police officer. Kaiser was a presidential delegate and advocate for Paul, and South Dakota Democratic Party chairman Ben Nesselhuf argued that connection is fair game. “If that’s who you hold up as your political mentor, it’s perfectly fair for you to say, you support Ron Paul, Ron Paul stands for these positions that are out of mainstream South Dakota thought, and we’re going to point that out,” Nesselhuf said. Things might not be over for the Democrats, who have ruffled plenty of feathers on the right with a barrage of aggressive postcards (more on this in Friday’s Argus Leader). On Twitter, the Republican Liberty Caucus group* threatened to file a lawsuit if Nesselhuf didn’t “retract the false statements” in the flier. “See you in court,” Nesselhuf said, when told of the threat. *The Republican Liberty Caucus doesn’t list any names on its website, but local activist Daniel Willard responded to a request for more information with an email at the rlcsd.com domain name and a signature that identified himself as the group’s executive director.

The Storm of Paul: Dan Kaiser isn’t happy.

The above postcard, from the South Dakota Democratic Party, criticizes Kaiser for his support for two-time presidential candidate Ron Paul. Specifically, it ties him to three ideas the postcard associates with Paul: end farm subsidies, “abolish” Social Security and legalize drugs (links go to the sources provided on the postcard).

“It’s blatantly untrue. The three issues they bring forward are untrue,” Kaiser said. “It’s a malicious attack. Two of the three are federal issues I’ve made no comments or statements on.”

The third, drug legalization, Kaiser spoke carefully.

“My two opponents up here both said at a public forum they’re both open to the legalization of drugs, while I don’t believe that’s the correct course for South Dakota,” Kaiser said.

But he’s open to changing drug laws.

“If we want to talk about the finite ins and outs of decriminalization versus legalization…” Kaiser said.

He said he was offended by the use of a police officer in the photo under the “drug laws eliminated” caption, noting he’s approaching his 10th year as a police officer.

Kaiser was a presidential delegate and advocate for Paul, and South Dakota Democratic Party chairman Ben Nesselhuf argued that connection is fair game.

“If that’s who you hold up as your political mentor, it’s perfectly fair for you to say, you support Ron Paul, Ron Paul stands for these positions that are out of mainstream South Dakota thought, and we’re going to point that out,” Nesselhuf said.

Things might not be over for the Democrats, who have ruffled plenty of feathers on the right with a barrage of aggressive postcards (more on this in Friday’s Argus Leader). On Twitter, the Republican Liberty Caucus group* threatened to file a lawsuit if Nesselhuf didn’t “retract the false statements” in the flier.

“See you in court,” Nesselhuf said, when told of the threat.

*The Republican Liberty Caucus doesn’t list any names on its website, but local activist Daniel Willard responded to a request for more information with an email at the rlcsd.com domain name and a signature that identified himself as the group’s executive director.

Tags: Dan Kaiser Daniel Willard Ron Paul SDDP postcards

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10:13 pm, July 25, 2012
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Noem votes to audit the Fed

The House of Representatives today approved a measure proposed by Rep. Ron Paul calling for an audit of the Federal Reserve.

The vote was 327-98 in favor, but apparently will not get considered by the Senate. When I next speak to Sen. Tim Johnson, the chair of the Senate Banking Committee, I’ll be sure to get his thoughts on the matter.

Of note: South Dakota’s Rep. Kristi Noem was among the 327 members of Congress voting for the measure.

Delegates at the South Dakota Republican Party convention this summer approved a resolution calling for just such an audit. The vote pretty overwhelming despite the strident opposition of a delegate who identified himself as an economist and argued that the audit would undermine the independence of the Federal Reserve. Most delegates accepted the arguments of supporters that the Fed had become too secretive.

Tags: Kristi Noem Ron Paul SDGOP

Gannett

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