The Dusty Johnson – Jason Gant comparison

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We told you about some in-depth digging into the financial reports of legislative and constitutional candidates. This is getting very interesting. The GOP is having a bit of a cat fight right now labeling each group as more or less Republican than the other. And more questions are arising about how Gant is running his office;

Possibly more serious than the attacks is an effort under way to file a lawsuit to kick Gosch off the ballot.

The lawsuit threat stems from Gosch’s nominating petitions to get on the ballot. He notarized one of his own petitions, which isn’t supposed to happen.

“I’m not an attorney, but I said, it sure looks like a violation to me,” said Ed Randazzo, a Rapid City activist who is helping to raise $2,500 to pay for a lawsuit.

Gosch was unavailable for comment, but asked his fellow lawmaker, Rep. Mike Verchio, R-Hill City, to speak for him.

“He’s confident, since the secretary of state (Jason Gant) already says there’s not a problem,” Verchio said.

If you are so confident, why the possible lawsuit?

We are still looking into why each is going after the other, but in this search, we find some other things involving our intrepid SOS Mr. Gant. Why is Mr. Gant mixed up in so many of these strange connections?  Who are these people financing him?  What does Jason have to do for them or what is he promising to the groups giving him the money?

THE FULL DOCUMENT: gant 2010 campiaign finance disclosure oct 22 – 11660

We are also looking into the money received by several other candidates elected at the same time as Mr. Gant.  Let’s look at Dusty Johnson’s run for the PUC.  This is an office you could assume would be useful to out of state lobbyists and corporations, it has in the past why not now?  So we looked…  And looked.  Interesting thing, Dusty has raised a lot of money for his PUC runs, but the money he has received are primarily from the usual in-state GOP citizens we get used to seeing in state finance reports. Small in-state PACs

SEE FULL DOCUMENT: Johnson, Dusty campaign Finance report Oct 22, 2010 11745

Jason Gant like Marty Jackley like Chris Nelson like several state GOP legislators are getting massive funds from out of state ALEC based PACs and ALEC directed out of state contributions.

Think the division in the state Republican party is a myth? Think again, it is a reality, and it’s going to get more real as November approaches.

Congrats Dusty!

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(Argus Leader file photo)

I have mixed feelings about Dusty’s appointment, but I like the guy, and though he has an (R) behind his name, I think he is a progressive person. I hope he takes full advantage of his position to help ordinary South Dakotans;

Public Utilities Commissioner Dusty Johnson will resign from his job at the end of his term and will become Governor-elect Dennis Daugaard’s chief of staff.

Johnson, who was reelected in November was named to his new position this morning in a news conference with Daugaard.

Johnson, 34, defeated Democrat Doyle Karpen with 73 percent of the vote earlier this month to retain the PUC post. Before being elected to the PUC, he was a senior policy advisor to Gov. Mike Rounds.

I am a little upset about him pulling a ‘Bob Litz’, but I will give him the benefit of the doubt, he may not have been angling for the job before the election. We will probably never know.