The South Dakota Attorney General’s office is calling on the state legislature to tighten audit loopholes following a new investigation that revealed a former Division of Motor Vehicles employee allegedly used forged vehicle titles to secure $400,000 in loans over a seven-year period. Attorney General Marty Jackley compared this case to other recent scandals in the state, such as the alleged theft of $1.8 million from the Department of Social Services.
Jackley highlighted the importance of increasing controls and checks within state government to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. The Government Operations and Audit Committee is already looking into the DSS scandal and is concerned about the pattern of financial misconduct in the state.
Jackley commended the cooperation from the Department of Revenue and the Governor’s office in starting the investigation and emphasized the need for legislative action to address the issue. He stressed the importance of putting necessary controls and checks in place to prevent further financial fraud.
Legislative Audit is being urged to play a more active role in monitoring government expenditures and ensuring transparency and accountability. Lawmakers, including GOAC Chair Ernie Otten, are calling for stronger provisions to catch and prevent financial misconduct in the future. The South Dakota Legislature is expected to address these issues in upcoming meetings to strengthen auditing procedures and prevent future financial scandals.
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