South Dakota’s Capitol in Pierre. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)
The refusal of a state department director to explain what’s changed after a recent vehicle titling scandal sparked a rare subpoena request from a legislative committee on Monday.
Department of Revenue Secretary Michael Houdyshell appeared before the Legislature’s Government Operations and Audit Committee in Pierre to discuss a new software system and other internal control measures he said will prevent further vehicle titling troubles. Two former Revenue Department employees are criminally charged in a fake vehicle-titling scheme, following an investigation into similar allegations against a deceased former employee .
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But Houdyshell refused, even during an hourlong, closed-door executive session, to offer details on the new internal controls. Houdyshell cited the criminal prosecutions and the possibility of future lawsuits, and said rules direct practicing attorneys to avoid making public statements about a case.