Attorney general signals looming lawsuits after South Dakotans' welfare records exposed
Voter registrations of 7,000 by secretary of state prompt threat from American Civil Liberties Union
Attorney General Marty Jackley is appointing separate legal council to represent both the Secretary of State’s Office and the South Dakota Legislature following the publication of a voter spreadsheet that contained thousands of names of people who registered to vote while applying for a government assistance program.
The decision comes amid a threat by the ACLU of South Dakota to pursue legal action against Secretary of State Monae Johnson after her office published the statewide voter registration spreadsheet. Johnson’s office did so to comply with the requirements of House Bill 1062, passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Larry Rhoden requiring her office to post free, publicly available voter registration files.
“Due to overall concerns about House Bill 1062, I have appointed separate counsel for the secretary of state and legislators to discuss the issues,” Jackley said in a statement to The Dakota Scout.
New voter database outs 7,000 South Dakotans who applied for welfare benefits
A database of South Dakota voters that was published on the Secretary of State’s Office website identifies people who registered to vote while signing up for government assistance programs.
