By JACK DURA and JOSH FUNK (Associated Press)
On Wednesday, a Democratic legislator called for an investigation into South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem's visit to Texas for dental work and a video where she praises the dentists for giving her a smile she can be proud and confident of.
State Sen. Reynold Nesiba asked the Republican co-chairs of the Legislature's Government Operations & Audit Committee to discuss and ask questions about the matter at the panel's next meeting in July.
Nesiba, a member of the audit committee, found the nearly five-minute video odd at first, and later raised questions about whether public funds were used for the trip and if the governor received a discount for the dental procedure because of her video.
Nesiba is also wondering if Noem used a state airplane or public funds for the Texas trip and if the governor paid for the dental procedure or received a discount because of her video.
Noem's office did not respond to questions about the promotional video posted on her personal account, where she praised the dentists and staff at Smile Texas, a cosmetic dental practice in the Houston area.
In the video, Noem praised the dentists for giving her a smile she can be proud and confident of. She also identified herself as the governor of South Dakota and included clips of her speaking at a Republican Party event with Trump signs in the background.
A representative of Smile Texas declined to speak with The Associated Press, citing privacy laws. When asked if Smile Texas plans to use Noem's video for promotion, the representative said, “No, she posted that,” then hung up when asked again.
According to South Dakota law, public officials and their immediate family cannot accept gifts worth over $100 from lobbyists. The state attorney general's office did not clarify if the gift ban applies to individuals who are not registered lobbyists.
Noem's video, where she says she went to Smile Texas because it was the best, comes at a time when South Dakota has spent $5 million on a workforce recruitment ad campaign in which she appears in TV commercials as various high-demand workers.
Nesiba believes the dental promotion undermines the millions of dollars invested in Noem as a spokesperson for South Dakota.
Paul Miskimins, a Republican former state legislator who practiced dentistry for over 37 years in South Dakota, sees nothing wrong with Noem seeking care outside the state. He mentioned that he himself had sought dental care from a friend in Canada and added that it's common for celebrities to endorse dental work, so he doesn't see why a public official couldn't do the same.
Miskimins said she believes that in America, we all have the right to choose where we get our medical care.
In 2019, there were questions about Noem's ethics when she used a state plane to attend six events outside of South Dakota organized by political groups, including the Republican Governors Association, Republican Jewish Coalition, Turning Point USA, and the National Rifle Association. At that time, her office said the trips were part of her role as the state's "ambassador" to boost the state's economy.
Noem was also criticized for bringing family members on several trips, but her office said she was following the example of previous governors.
The ethics board of South Dakota ultimately dismissed the complaint about Noem's flights to political events in 2022 because state law does not clearly define what qualifies as "state business."
However, the state ethics board did say that Noem may have acted improperly when she got involved in her daughter's application for a real estate appraiser license.
The governor intervened with a state agency after her daughter's application for an appraiser license was denied in 2020. Noem organized a meeting with her daughter, the labor secretary, and the then-director of the appraiser certification program to discuss a plan to give her daughter another opportunity to demonstrate that she could meet federal standards for her appraiser work.
Noem claims she followed the law in handling her daughter's licensure and that her daughter did not receive any special treatment.
She was re-elected by voters in 2022 with 62% of the vote.
Michael Card, a retired political science professor at the University of South Dakota, said he has no insight into the governor's motivation for the video but found it puzzling.
He said, "It just seems unusual for an elected official in office to make an infomercial like that."
___
Dura reported from Bismarck, North Dakota, and Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska.
