Jason Richard Ravnsborg (born April 12, 1976) is an American attorney and politician. A Republican, he served as Attorney General of South Dakota from 2019 until his removal in 2022. Ravnsborg ran for the U.S. Senate in 2014, losing in the Republican primary to former Governor Mike Rounds, who won the general election.

Ravnsborg is a U.S. Army Reserve officer and combat veteran who has served tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his service in Iraq. Before becoming attorney general, Ravnsborg was a lawyer in private practice and deputy state's attorney for Union County.

In 2020, following a political fundraiser, Ravnsborg struck and killed a pedestrian while driving. This led to him being charged and convicted with three misdemeanors and permanently barred from holding public office in the state.

Early life and education Jason Richard Ravnsborg (pronounced "Roundsberg") was born in Cherokee, Iowa, the son of Richard Ravnsborg and Jeanne (Gordon) Ravnsborg. He was raised on his family's farm and graduated from Cherokee Washington High School in 1994.

After high school, Ravnsborg attended the University of South Dakota, from which he graduated in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science in history and political science. He then attended the University of South Dakota School of Law, from which he graduated with a Juris Doctor in 2001. Also in 2001, Ravnsborg completed an M.A. in history from the University of South Dakota. Beginning in 1996, he participated in the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps program and served in the Army Reserve. In 1998, he received a commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army's Transportation Corps.

Military career As he advanced through the Army Reserve's ranks, Ravnsborg held company command four times. He also deployed on three different occasions: to Germany in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2003, to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004, and to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2009. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal after coming under enemy fire in Iraq. From April 2017 to September 2019, he commanded the 394th Combat Service Support Battalion, in charge of over 600 soldiers in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Missouri. In April 2021, Ravnsborg announced that he would be promoted to colonel. In May, Army officials said that Ravnsborg's promotion would be delayed until his criminal charges were resolved.

Legal career Ravnsborg is licensed to practice law in South Dakota and Iowa, as well as the federal district courts for South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the Federal Court of Claims, and the United States Supreme Court.

From 2001 to 2004, Ravnsborg was a law clerk for Timothy K. Connell, judge of the Fifth Judicial District in Rock County, Minnesota. In 2004, he joined the law firm of Harmelink and Fox in Yankton, South Dakota. In 2006, he became a partner at the firm. He also served as deputy state's attorney for Union County.

Political career

2014 United States Senate election

Ravnsborg ran for the United States Senate in the 2014 election. He came in fifth in the Republican primary. The nomination went to former governor Mike Rounds. From 2015 to 2018, Ravnsborg chaired the Yankton County Republican Committee.

2018 South Dakota attorney general election

On February 21, 2017, Ravnsborg announced his candidacy for attorney general in 2018. Opposing Ravnsborg for the Republican nomination were Chief Deputy Attorney General Charlie McGuigan, Lawrence County State's Attorney John Fitzgerald, and State Senator Lance Russell. McGuigan suspended his campaign before the nominating convention. In June 2018, Ravnsborg won the nomination at the Republican Convention in Pierre. In the first round of voting, Ravnsborg led with 47% of the vote; Russell had 27%. Fitzgerald had 26%, which eliminated Fitzgerald. Ravnsborg then defeated Russell 63% to 37% in the second vote.

The Democratic nominee was former U.S. Attorney Randy Seiler.

Ravnsborg was endorsed in the general election by 40 county sheriffs, the Fraternal Order of Police, 30 state's attorneys, the National Rifle Association, South Dakota Right to Life, and the Family Heritage Alliance.

Ravnsborg defeated Seiler in the November 6 general election.

Tenure as attorney general of South Dakota

Consumer and antitrust matters The attorneys general of all 50 states, including Ravnsborg, supported the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACE) Act, which passed Congress on overwhelming bipartisan majorities and became law in 2019. In 2019, Ravnsborg joined his fellow attorneys general by entering into an agreement with 12 phone companies to combat illegal robocalls. In 2020, he joined a bipartisan coalition of 52 state and territory attorneys general on USTelecom's Industry Traceback Group to bolster technological capabilities to improve enforcement against illegal robocallers.

In September 2019, Ravnsborg spoke in front of the U.S. Supreme Court about the opening of a bipartisan antitrust investigation into Google by 50 state attorneys general.

In May 2020, Ravnsborg was one of 11 state attorneys general from the Midwest and West who called for a federal antitrust investigation into the meatpacking industry; he argued that there is a disparity between the prices for liveweight cattle and the retail cost of beef, with four meatpacking companies that control about 80% of the cattle market.

In 2020, Honda entered into a $85 million multistate settlement to resolve allegations that it did not inform its consumers that it used airbags that posed a significant risk of rupture; Ravnsborg said that South Dakota's share would be slightly more than $2 million.

In 2021, Ravnsborg supported South Dakota opting into a $26 billion, multi-state settlement with the three major opioid distributors (Cardinal Health, McKesson Corp., and AmerisourceBergen) and Johnson & Johnson to resolve claims that the companies helped fuel the opioid epidemic. Under the settlement, South Dakota could receive approximately $50 million over 17 years. Ravnsborg said the settlement was the second-largest multi-state action by state attorneys general ever, after the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement. South Dakota previously received about $1.2 million as part of a 47-state, $573 million settlement with McKinsey & Company, and $30,000 in a settlement with British pharmaceutical company Reckitt Benckiser Group. In September 2021, the three large U.S. drug distributors and Johnson & Johnson announced that 42 states, five territories and Washington, D.C., had signed onto the deal and it would proceed.

Guns Ravnsborg said during his campaign he would fight to uphold District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald v. City of Chicago. He is a National Rifle Association life member. Ravnsborg testified in support of SB 47, a bill to allow carrying of guns without a permit. Governor Kristi Noem signed the bill into law, making South Dakota the 14th state to enact such a law.

Organizational involvement In 2019, Ravnsborg was named to several standing committees of the National Association of Attorneys General. The same year, he was appointed to the executive council for Special Olympics and Law Enforcement Torch Run. In 2020, Ravnsborg became co-chair of the NAAG Gaming Committee with Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich. Also in 2020, he was elected as second vice chair and a member of the executive board of the Conference of Western Attorneys General. In June 2021, Ravnsborg was elected vice chair of the Conference of Western Attorneys General.

Criminal law Probation and drug policy Ravnsborg has unsuccessfully sought to restrict presumptive probation in South Dakota.Stephen Groves, South Dakota AG was frequent traveler before fatal crash, Associated Press (September 15, 2020).Stephen Groves, Attorney general asks Legislature again to rein in presumptive probation, Associated Press (January 10, 2020). South Dakota's presumptive probation law mandates that persons convicted of certain nonviolent lower-level felonies (such as drug possession or use) be sentenced to probation unless a judge determines that a "significant risk" to the public exists. Ravnsborg made proposals to eliminate or restrict presumptive probation central to his campaign and tenure, but the proposals failed due to insufficient support from the state legislature for the proposal in 2019.Noem cautions about costs of ending presumptive probation, Associated Press (February 20, 2019). State lawmakers and Governor Noem expressed concern about the proposal after a budget estimate projected that it would cost the state $54 million in additional jail and prison costs over a decade. Ravnsborg pushed the proposal again in 2020.

In 2019, Ravnsborg took the position that industrial hemp and all forms of cannabidiol (CBD oil) are illegal in South Dakota (see marijuana in South Dakota).County prosecutor says he won't prosecute CBD oil cases, Associated Press (April 16, 2019).Lee Strubinger, State Groups Want Clarity on CBD Legality Following Arrest In Sioux Falls, South Dakota Public Broadcasting (April 9, 2019). In 2020, he opposed a state legislative proposal to reduce the crime of "ingesting a controlled substance" from a felony to a class-one misdemeanor, arguing that the proposal would insufficiently deter drug use; a state senate committee rejected the proposal, leaving South Dakota as the only U.S. state that makes ingestion a felony.Lee Strubinger, Senate Committee Denies Ingestion Penalty Reduction, South Dakota Public Broadcasting (February 20, 2020).

Death penalty In 2019, Ravnsborg testified against a bill to prohibit capital punishment of any person with a severe mental illness. The bill was defeated in committee 4–3, but it was voted on out of committee and was defeated by the state senate 21−12.

In 2019, Ravnsborg appeared in the 7th Circuit Court in Rapid City to request a warrant of execution for Charles Russell Rhines for the 1992 murder of Donnivan Schaeffer. Judge Robert A. Mandel granted the warrant. The South Dakota Supreme Court subsequently denied Rhines's request for a stay of execution. After appeals and a clemency petition were denied, Rhines was executed.

Investigation of Minnehaha County state's attorney In 2019, Noem requested that Ravnsborg investigate Minnehaha County State's Attorney Aaron McGowan after he was absent for two months. Ravnsborg's report determined that McGowan did not commit a crime, but outlined numerous alcohol-related incidents that Noem called "unsettling"; after the report was released, McGowan issued an apology. In December 2019, McGowan resigned, citing ill health and negative press attention.

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