| Eleven Questions for … South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg (R): Welcome to our weekly interview feature. For this edition, we chatted with Ravnsborg, who's under investigation by South Dakota's GOP-controlled House over whether he should be impeached for his conduct after pleading no contest to two misdemeanors in a 2020 car crash that killed a pedestrian. Ravnsborg maintains he didn't realize he killed a man until returning to the scene the next day and discovering the body of Joseph Boever. The interview was conducted by email. Ravnsborg, who is facing calls from South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) and others to resign, declined to answer a question asking him to make his case for remaining attorney general after accidentally killing Boever. Instead, he substituted a question he wrote himself about his greatest accomplishment as attorney general. We included his answer below. (This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for length and clarity.) The Early: Attorneys general from across the country are coming to D.C. next week for the National Association of Attorneys General "Capitol Forum." What's on your agenda? Ravnsborg: It is important for me to discuss issues regarding consumer protection, such as robocalls, online privacy and identity theft. These bipartisan meetings are the best opportunities to get as many of the 56 (50 states and six territories) attorneys general together to talk about the issues and seek common ground. The Early: Finish this sentence: The worst thing about Washington is _______. Ravnsborg: The lack of civility among elected officials. The Early: Who is your closest friend on the other side of the aisle? Ravnsborg: Attorney General Phil Weiser of Colorado. Recently, I built a bipartisan coalition of 45 states to support the states of Colorado and Washington in the cases of Colorado Department of State v. Baca and Chiafalo v. Washington that discussed the electoral college and the rights that states had to put restrictions on its electors. The Early: Polls show most Republicans want to see Donald Trump run in 2024. Do you want him run for president again? Ravnsborg: That will be President Trump's decision to make. He was a very effective president who got many things done. However, 2024 is still a long ways off and instead of focusing on 2024, I think everyone should be focusing on the problems they can address now to best help our states and nation. The Early: What was the last book you finished? (Be honest!) And what are you reading now? Ravnsborg: I do love to read, but realistically, I spend most of my time reading legal briefs, lawsuits and policy letters. I am currently reading John Grisham's "The Judge's List." When I was 17, I was stuck in the Minneapolis airport and had a 13-hour delay. I saw his book titled "A Time to Kill," which seemed very appropriate for my situation. I loved it and have read all of his books since then. The Early: Will you run for reelection next year? And if you haven't decided, when will you decide? Ravnsborg: When an announcement is appropriate, South Dakotans will know first. The Early: Do you think it's a good idea to shut down the government over vaccine and mask mandates? Ravnsborg: Government shutdowns for any reasons are not beneficial to the stability of the nation, its states or its people. Ravnsborg (this is the question he posed to himself): What accomplishment are you most proud of during your tenure as attorney general? Ravnsborg: When I took office my staff could not tell me how many people were missing in South Dakota. Over my tenure, we have identified that on any given day there are roughly 120 people missing. I have improved the attorney general's website to include the people that are missing in the state. I have also sought and been granted appropriations and authority from the legislature to make the website more user friendly. The Early: In a move that shocked many, Noem released videos of you being interviewed about two misdemeanor traffic charges over the crash last year that killed a pedestrian by a pair of North Dakota special agents who were brought in to assist with the probe. Do you believe that her decision to do so was politically motivated? Ravnsborg: I will let the people of South Dakota decide what actions of the governor are politically motivated. The Early: You were one of the officials to join a 17-state legal effort last December to overturn Trump's 2020 defeat. Do you believe that President Biden is the legitimate president? Ravnsborg: Yes. The Supreme Court decided the case and I respect their decision, which I do on every one of their decisions, if I personally agree with it or not. The Early: What do you think of Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich's (R) ongoing investigation into the results of the 2020 election more than a year after Biden won the state? Would you like to see other AGs open similar investigations? Ravnsborg: I believe each state attorney general should do what is best for the interests of the people of their state. As far as South Dakota is concerned, I have faith in the election laws and officials that administer our elections. | 
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