Noem taps impeachment prosecutor to replace attorney general

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has appointed the lead prosecutor in the Senate impeachment trial against former Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg to fill the remainder of Ravnsborg’s term. Noem’s appointment of Pennington County State’s Attorney Mark Vargo as attorney general was effective Tuesday. Noem pushed for Ravnsborg’s impeachment after he refused to step down following the 2020 crash in which he struck and killed a man along a rural highway. Vargo will serve as attorney general until he’s replaced by the winner of the November election.