Kristi Noem reportedly 'evasive' and 'threatening' while being served with lawsuit papers

30 May 2024

South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem — rumored to be a possible 2024 running mate for former President Donald Trump — reportedly intimidated the process server tasked with handing her lawsuit paperwork.

That's according to the Sioux Falls-based Argus Leader newspaper, which reported Thursday that a group suing her wants its lawsuit reinstated. The group, Travelers United, is accusing the South Dakota governor of not disclosing that she was compensated for an apparent advertisement she did for Smile Texas, which performed dental work on Noem that she showcased in a lengthy video she posted to her social media channels.

A judge threw out the lawsuit recently, saying Travelers United failed to officially serve her with paperwork by the May 13 deadline. However, the group is disputing that, claiming in a proof of service document submitted to the court that it indeed served Noem on April 5, 2024. The document read that while Noem was being served, the process server handing over the paperwork said they feared for their safety.

"Travelers United has successfully served Kristi Noem. Travelers United has met with Ms. Noem’s lawyers multiple times," the document read. "The process server who served Ms. Noem said Noem was 'highly evasive and also threatening.'"

"Given that Ms. Noem clearly knows about this lawsuit based on her tweets as of today, Tuesday, May 28th, 2024 and hiring of counsel that have met multiple times before this filing, Travelers United believes there has been sufficient service in this case," the filing continued. "Ms. Noem has recently been in the news for shooting and killing her dog. The process server felt legitimately threatened."

Noem insists that she was not compensated in any way for the post about Smile Texas. However, Travelers United has said that it would drop its lawsuit if the South Dakota governor could provide evidence that she paid full price for the dental work, and noted that she has so far not produced any receipts.

Ian Fury, a spokesman for the GOP governor, disputed the group's claims about Noem being "threatening" to the process server. He wrote on social media that Noem is "warm and loving to everyone she interacts with, and that "if these attorneys had ever met with her, they’d know that. More proof than ever that they never served her."

Travelers United argued that law dictates that Noem fully disclose if she was compensated as a public official for producing marketing material for a private company. The group has also sued Smile Texas, alleging that the company is running advertising campaigns without disclosing that subjects were compensated for their time.

Noem reportedly rebuffed several attempts by One Legal — the firm Travelers United hired to serve the governor — to serve her with lawsuit paperwork. One Legal first attempted to hand Noem the paperwork to staff in the South Dakota Governor's Office, though no staffers would accept the papers. Process servers also attempted to serve her at her home, where her husband said she wasn't present, and at a public luncheon. The Argus Leader reported that none of Noem's staffers would accept the paperwork there either, and that they rushed the governor out of the function before the server could make contact with her.

"Given that Ms. Noem clearly knows about this lawsuit based on her tweets as of today, Tuesday, May 28th, 2024, and hiring of counsel that have met multiple times before this filing, Travelers United believes there has been sufficient service in this case," Travelers United attorney Lauren Wolfe wrote in a court filing.

Click here to read the Argus Leader's report in full.

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