Lora Hubbel has served in the South Dakota Legislature.

Lora has personally seen how the system works.

She ran for Governor, and later joined another candidate for Governor as his running mate.  Both of those campaigns were unsuccessful insofar as winning the election goes.  In the process, Lora attempted to inform South Dakotans of the corruption in State Government.  She has been ridiculed, maligned and mocked by many, but has remained steadfast in her efforts to call out corruption.  She recently announced that she is running for Governor again.  The following article by Lora identifies some of what motivates her to enter this race.

Years ago I had a conversation with a co-worker who would become a big player in South Dakota politics. He was going to law school at the time and we were at break together. He was so excited to “learn” that nothing was right or wrong, nor just or unjust, but merely legal or illegal. During the conversation he condescendingly accused me of being “absolutist” in my views of right and wrong.

Because of that conversation and what I have seen in SD politics since, let me make a prediction. Nothing in the Gear Up scandal will be found to be “illegal”…immoral, unethical, wrong, unjust maybe…but not illegal. How can that be? Because the State will deem it so. Laws have been passed to make everything dealing with Gear-up and AIII legal, and if there is a problem with illegality, that aspect will be ignored, or the information given to the FBI or AG will be disregarded saying “case closed” as in the Westerhuis deaths. Or illegalities may simply be explained away with common-heard excuses coming from the AG’s office, “I didn’t have the authority”; “I do not nor can I have any knowing about that”; “that’s not illegal”; “I don’t defend the constitution, you have to hire a lawyer to prove you were injured and sue the state…and then I will defend the stat against you.” I have personally heard that one when I asked that our constitution be upheld to enforce the SD constitution on redistricting. And since then I have heard that is a common excuse many have heard when they want their rights enforced.

I contend that corruption in SD is legal. Look at our 10,000 nonprofits operating in SD. That is one non-profit for every 80 South Dakotans. Non-profits do not have to be audited in SD. We are one of 10 states that have no oversight. We lazily rely on the “honor system”. Non-profits do not have to report major donors like S or C corporations, LLCs or partnerships do either.

If you read the book “Free Money” by Kevin Trudeau, you will find SD players using this as their bible. “How to get free money grants from Uncle Sam,” it shouts, “without ever having to pay it back!” It tells a money seeker that a grant can be managed by another non-profit and that “managing” can legally (there is that operative word again) take up to 90% of the money in management “fees” that YOU get to enjoy. Sound familiar?

Many of these foundation or grant funds must go to the STATE, but the state is not equipped to “manage” the grant money, so they use “non-profits” set up by friends (cronies) to pass the money through. I am finding out that at least one big political player has his house owned by an LLC…and the owner of the LLC gets the landscaping contracts for the state, and is on a few state boards. Oh, and by the way…the same address is used for the “office” of several other non-profits.

You see, the gist of “entity-structuring” (which is forming non-profits, LLCs, corporation and the mixing of them all for your advantage) is to help you become comfortable with not “owning” anything, but “using” it for your pleasure. You can use houses, cars, boats, jewelry, clothes, electronics while “managing” a non-profit and no one knows these items are not yours. Do you care if the Bentley you are driving belongs to you or to the non-profit or LLC?

A common way to hide identity or responsibility is by having your non-profit or LLC be “owned” by another non-profit, corporation or LLC. The use of “charging orders” can deflect any lawsuit from an injured person and make them pay the company’s taxes if they continue with the suit!

So is South Dakota irredeemable? No….but we cannot continue to think the STATE politicians will slap the hands that feed it. In my opinion no wrangling in the GOAC will prevail. No legislation will get legs to correct this. No complaints to the AG’s office or FBI (our FBI is ONE person – accountable to who?) will ever be investigated. We have an honor system and as you have heard, there is no honor among thieves. We need a total change in Pierre. People like Gordon Howie, Liz May, Stace Nelson, Sam Marty, Steve Livermont, Phil Jensen, Jeff Monroe, Tonchi Weaver, Julie Mueller, Barb Landers, Flossie Thompson (and many others I am missing) must be given the reins of power and NO one still in cabinet positions or state board members must get a free pass in this upcoming election.

We can do this…but it’s going to take all hands on deck.

South Dakota would profit from a listening ear.  Regardless of your political allegiance, it would be worth your time to hear her out.  Don’t be too quick to dismiss Lora Hubbel because of what someone else may say about her.  She does her homework.  The cronyism and corruption runs very deep in South Dakota politics.  Establishment politicians have a very strong grip on the system, and it will take “an outsider” to turn the tide.

***Gordon Howie is an author and CEO of Life and Liberty Media***

“It’s not about right or left, it’s about Right or Wrong.”

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