Who is Jason Ravnsborg? South Dakota General Attorney who killed pedestrian in car crash 'thought he hit a deer'
Gov Kristi Noem has called for an investigation after South Dakota General Jason Ravnsborg reported hitting a deer with his car on September 12 night, while returning from a Republican fundraiser. However, it was later established that the Ravnsborg had allegedly killed a pedestrian, whose body was found on September 13. Ravnsborg’s office confirmed that he hadn’t had any drink before the crash occurred.
The GA reportedly called 911 to inform that he had hit a deer with his 2011 Ford Taurus. The victim is identified to be a 55-year-old man called Joseph Boever. According to South Dakota’s local media outlet Keloland, one of the victim’s family members has expressed concerns about the GA getting away with his alleged crime. The statement given by Boever’s cousin Nick Nemec read, “My worst fear is that they’re trying to get ducks in a row to absolve the attorney general of any wrongdoing”.
Ravnsborg: Life and career
Ravnsborb was born in Cherokee, Iowa. He received a commission as an Army transportation officer during his participation in the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. He is currently serving as a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army Reserve. The GA holds a license to practice law in the states of South Dakota and Iowa along with the other federal district courts.
His career in politics began in the 2014 elections when he ran for the United States Senate. Ravnsborg ran for Attorney General of South Dakota in 2018 and was endorsed in the general election by 40 county sheriffs, the Fraternal Order of Police, thirty state's attorneys, the National Rifle Association, South Dakota Right to Life, and the Family Heritage Alliance. Since his appointment as the Attorney General, Ravnsborg has contributed to the passing of many bills covering various legal matters.
In 2019, he spoke about the opening of a bipartisan antitrust investigation into Google, and in 2020, he was one of the 11 state attorney generals who urged the federal antitrust investigation to look into the meat packaging industry. In the same year, South Dakota received a share of slightly more than $2 million in an $85 million settlement with Honda to resolve allegations that the automobile company did not inform its consumers about the risk of rupture. South Dakota became the 14th state to allow the carrying of guns without a permit after Noem signed the bill SB 47, supported by Ravnsborg, to make it into law. He has initiated a missing person and runaway child clearinghouse, through which he has held “Missing Persons Mondays SD” to focus on one missing person case each week.
Ravnsborg was elected as one of South Dakota's three Republican presidential electors along with Governor Kristi Noem and Lieutenant Governor Larry Rhoden at the 2020 Republican State Convention in 2020.