Noem posts video addressing controversy over meeting his daughter, a state official

Government of South Dakota. Kristi noemKristi Lynn NoemThe Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Alibaba – Democrats Still Disagreeing Over Biden’s Agenda Noem Breaks Ties With Lewandowski After Harassment Allegations Have Surfaced Operation Trump Replaces Lewandowski After Allegations Of Sexual Misconduct MORE (R) Friday sought to address controversy over his 2020 meeting with the head of the state agency who decided to deny his daughter a real estate appraiser’s certification.

The reunion, which also included Noem’s daughter Kassidy Peters, has come under intense scrutiny since it was first reported by The Associated Press. State Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg (right) said his office is reviewing the meeting and that a key state Senate committee is also expected to consider the matter at its meeting later this month.

The July 2020 meeting between Noem, Peters and Sherry Bren, the former executive director of the South Dakota Appraiser Certification Program, was called shortly after Bren’s agency decided to deny Peters certification. residential appraiser.

The State Department of Labor and Regulation maintains that Peters’ application was never denied and that she obtained her certification four months after the July meeting in November 2020.

In a video message released on Friday, Noem denigrated information about the meeting, accusing members of the media of falsely attacking his family. She also insisted that she had not stepped in to get special treatment for her daughter.

“There is a lot of speculation and innuendo in the media and I wanted to take a second to set the record straight. I never once asked for special treatment for Kassidy, ”Noem said. “She’s my daughter and I’m proud of her. I raised her to do things on her own, just like my parents raised me.

Noem said she was rather concerned about fixing the “broken” system governing real estate appraiser certifications, arguing that the process was inefficient and therefore made buying a home more onerous.

“Appraisers were not certified and South Dakotas had to wait much longer to buy a home than in other states,” she said. “This system had been broken for decades. It was designed to benefit those who were already certified and to keep others out.

In a reference to Bren, who claims she was forced to retire last year after meeting with the governor, Noem noted that “the person in charge of the assessment certification process has been in this role since then. 40 years”.

Noem, who is considered a potential candidate for the 2024 GOP presidential title, said his administration had made changes to the certification process for real estate appraisers, noting that state-registered appraisers no longer had to take an exam. before starting their training. She said her administration “is considering streamlining the additional requirements.”

Still, Noem provided little information on what happened at the July 2020 reunion or why his daughter was in attendance. Instead, she has drawn recent attention to the issue as being politically motivated.

“The media ignore these facts,” she said. “They prefer to attack my daughter to score cheap political points against me. But I’m not focusing on that, I’m focusing on making it easier for South Dakota youth to get into this area and it will make buying a home easier for South Dakotas.