Legislative panel approves subpoenas to compel testimony of state officials

Executive Board unanimous in decision to support subpoenas of two Department of Revenue officials in corruption inquiry

(Austin Goss/The Dakota Scout)

PIERRE — South Dakota state lawmakers want to force two of the Department of Revenue’s highest ranking officials to testify before them about a series of scandals that have bedeviled the department.

The South Dakota Legislature’s Executive Board, which includes House and Senate leadership among its 15 members, voted unanimously Tuesday morning to grant the Government Operations and Audit Committee’s (GOAC) request to compel Revenue Secretary Michael Houdyshell and Motor Vehicle Division head Rosa Yeager to testify before them.

GOAC voted last week to send a request for subpoenas to the Executive Board, after Houdyshell opted to provide limited details to committee members during a closed-door session aimed at learning how two former employees face criminal charges. Former department supervisor Sandy O’Day created fake titles to steal money from banks, while O’Day’s successor, Lynne Hunsley, faces two felonies for allegedly falsifying tax documents for a vehicle she owns. O’Day passed away earlier this year, and thus will not face charges.

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