Kristi Noem, her daughter and the meeting of state labor and regulatory employees will be reviewed by state authorities

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CNN is unable to verify what happened in the meeting, and Noem’s office has denied any wrongdoing. But according to the Associated Press, Noem’s daughter Kassidy Peters was facing denial of her certification when the meeting took place. Peters was then approved for this several months later.

Applicants for a residential assessor certification “must show that they can perform assessments to national standards, leveraging 200 hours of classroom instruction and months of experience,” reports the AP. In November 2020, Peters completed the additional licensing requirements and became certified, said Dawn Dovre, director of public affairs at the Department of Labor and Regulation, in an email to CNN.

On Wednesday, Noem tweeted that she “never asked for special treatment for Kassidy. Others went through the same process as Kassidy.”

“Here are the facts: I have heard for years how difficult it is to become an appraiser in South Dakota, making it difficult for people in South Dakota to buy a home,” she continued. “I have been working for years to correct this process and signed a law to this effect in the last session.”

Sherry Bren, former executive director of the South Dakota Evaluator Certification Program, shared with CNN the responses she provided to the AP’s questions, saying she had received a text and email from her supervisor asking him to come to the governor’s office for a meeting on the morning of July 27, 2020, to discuss the state’s assessor certification procedures.

Bren declined to comment on the content of the meeting or Peters’ candidacy.

The meeting brought together Noem, Peters, former chief of staff to Noem Tony Venhuizen and former legal adviser to Noem Tom Hart, as well as South Dakota Labor Secretary Marcia Hultman, the supervisor and director of Labor and Bren management Amber Mulder; and senior counsel Graham. Oey, according to Bren. Bren said Oey and Venhuizen were present by phone.

Bren left the agency in March after filing an age discrimination complaint in late December and receiving a $ 200,000 settlement to withdraw her claim.

“The Associated Press denigrates the governor’s daughter for attacking the governor politically – no wonder Americans’ confidence in the media is at an all-time low. South Dakota is open for business. Hampering North Dakota’s sustained economic growth South, “Noem communications director Ian Fury said in a statement to CNN. “Having more quality appraisers on the market will help keep our housing market moving and lower home prices.”

In a statement to CNN, Hultman said: “Kassidy Peters went through the same process as the other reviewers. There were no refusals. Ms. Peters met the requirements for a license, and she was subsequently certified in November.”

Following the Associated Press report, the state attorney general’s office and a state senator said the case would be reconsidered.

South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg, a Republican, said in a statement to CNN on Wednesday: “I have been contacted by concerned citizens and lawmakers. to these questions. “

South Dakota State Senator Kyle Schoenfish, also a Republican, told CNN via email that “the matter will be added to the agenda for the next GOAC [Government Operations and Audit Committee] meeting scheduled for October 27 and 28. “

CNN has also reached out to Peters, Mulder, Oey, Hart, Venhuizen and South Dakota Evaluator Certification Program Director Scott Amundson for comment.

Peters told the AP in a statement that her “upgrade to become a licensed residential appraiser took a very long time and I had to overcome a lot of obstacles early on,” she said. “I’m glad I have it now and have the privilege of serving my clients in South Dakota.”

CNN’s Jaide Timm-Garcia and Leslie Perrot contributed to this report.

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