Gov. Larry Rhoden (left) and Dan Ahlers met at the SDPB/South Dakota News Watch Gubernatorial Debate in Sioux Falls on Sept. 28, 2026. (Photo courtesy of SDPB)
The South Dakota Democratic Party is doubling down on a claim that state plane records were kept secret until a Sioux Falls newspaper sued during the first year of Gov. Larry Rhoden's tenure in office.
But a news story cited in a social media post to back up Democratic nominee Dan Ahlers' allegations — made during the second and final gubernatorial debate earlier this week — was not related to public records of state aircraft use. Instead, it sourced a 2024 article about The Dakota Scout filing litigation to obtain state finance records during former Gov. Kristi Noem's final year in office.
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