So two of the accused were acquitted and one of them got a heck of a plea deal. The problem though with these trials were they only focused on the individuals who worked for the organizations and NOT the consultants. It also swirled around a very small amount of money in the bigger scheme of things. (The trials focused on around $1 million when in essence around $60 million is missing).

Like EB-5, it seems the ‘dead guy’ was blamed. But unlike EB-5, dozens of consultants walked away with millions and little to show for the work they did.

As a team of USD Political Science students showed on the big board of yarn, there were many players in the Gear-Up scandal. Why weren’t they dragged into a courtroom? Were these 3 mini cases simply a deflection of the bigger scammers? And by the State (AG Jackley) losing these cases a way of putting this all to bed?

I just find it a little odd that the small players (and dead guy) were put on trial yet NONE of the consultants who took millions in Federal Grant money had to appear in a court room.

The Gear-Up scandal stinks to high heaven and it is a distinct possibility the real crooks in this matter got away.

6 Thoughts on “Were the Gear-Up trials just a ‘SHOW’?

  1. A course it was a “Show.” Jackley cherry picked some defendants to make it look like he was investigating the matter.

    So let’s take inventory, shall we? We got a $ 2000 fine out of EB5 and two acquittals, and a significantly reduced plea out of GEAR-UP….. No wonder no state entity is criminally investigating the buidling collapse in Sioux Falls…. “Welcome to a banana republic, without bananas”….

  2. D@ily Spin on October 12, 2018 at 4:41 pm said:

    South Dakota has become known for corruption. There’s not enough resources to investigate sophisticated crimes. There’s a network of white collar ‘Teflon Consultants’ and ‘Mystery LLC’s’ protected by politicians and corrupt lawyers. Court cases endure for years until everybody forgets the subject and new white collar crime enters into more decades of courts recess. Looking and being guilty has become a badge of honor.

  3. Knothead Peasant on October 12, 2018 at 5:00 pm said:

    Smoke & Mirrors are how scandals go away in South Dakota. The Mafia is on the east coast and here in the Dakota to the South they have their own style.

  4. Sundown on October 12, 2018 at 7:23 pm said:

    It has always been my contention that the auditors of Gear Up may have some relation to AG Jackley. This looks and smells of a case of Good ‘ol Boys with Jackley trying to cover-up of bunch of his inept or crooked auditor buddies. Dan Guericke always welcomed an audit which was supposed to prevent situations like this. Dan was a great educator and administrator, not a bean counter.

  5. The Guy from Guernsey on October 13, 2018 at 5:59 pm said:

    “Show”, indeed!
    These cases were originally charged in order that they could be wIndow dressing for Jackley’s gubernatorial campaign.
    “Oooww, Jackley is really cracking down on corruption!”
    I would speculate that the intent was to leave the cases as “still in progress” through the date of the General Election. Were Jackley to have been the Repub nominee, why would he distract himself with prosecution of these weak cases in the months prior to a General Election?
    To simply bring these charges was enough for the campaign slogan, “Marty Jackley. Tough on corruption!”
    Following the primary defeat, he may as well close the books on these cases and this incident of corruption.
    After all, what would Seiler do when elected and if this incident weren’t “closed out”?

  6. Sundown on October 14, 2018 at 11:42 pm said:

    Guernsey Guy, I agree. If $60 million is missing and only $1 mill is accounted for with Westerhuis, where is the other $59M? Has somebody actually followed the money? Has the state actually gotten value from the money? If not, who has skimmed from the pot? And how are all the big shot money guys connected? I contend that the state has been pointing fingers at the little guys as easy target scapegoats.

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