By Associated Press - Sunday, May 18, 2014

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - The brushes with the law that the nine South Dakota candidates vying for a spot in the U.S. Senate have faced in the past 25 years range from no offenses to being charged with more than 50 crimes.

Public records dating back to 1989 show that harassment, pet and hunting violations, and speeding are among the charges, the Argus Leader (https://argusne.ws/1geOdce ) reported Sunday. Candidates for public office are often confronted about their records on the campaign trail, even for minor offenses. And in South Dakota, driving records have been known to come up.

Five Republicans, three independents and one Democrat are competing for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Tim Johnson. The Republicans will face off in a June 3 primary.

Independent candidate Clayton Walker, who has been charged with more than 50 crimes, has the most violations, according to the newspaper report. Most of Walker’s charges were dropped, but he has pleaded guilty to seven misdemeanors and was found guilty of making threatening or harassing phone calls.

The guilty pleas were for driving without a license, littering, possession of alcohol by a minor, disorderly conduct, exhibition driving, disobeying a stop sign and careless driving. Most of them happened more than 10 years ago. The conviction for threatening or harassing phone calls was last year.

Walker told the newspaper the information on his background check was incorrect, but he did not provide information regarding the alleged inaccuracies when given the opportunity.

“Not all of your info is true or correct,” Walker wrote in an email to the newspaper. “Just because you are charged with a crime doesn’t mean you are guilty of that crime.”

Independent Gordon Howie has eight speeding tickets dating to 1990. He also has a seat-belt violation and a ticket for an expired license-plate sticker. He pleaded guilty earlier this year to a hunting violation after state wildlife inspectors found that he had shot a pregnant mountain lion caught in a trap.

“I could have gone to find cell service and called (the Department of) Game and Fish (and Parks) and left the lion there,” Howie said. “That would have technically been the appropriate thing to do. It’s not what I chose to do. I accepted the consequences for that, and I’m moving on.”

Republican candidate Annette Bosworth, a Sioux Falls physician, has been given five speeding tickets, and cited for no proof of insurance and violating the city’s pet ordinance, which happened when she was living in a recreation vehicle. She said her family was forced to give up their Great Dane.

The record of GOP candidate Stace Nelson includes a protection order taken out against him by the then-Hanson County Sheriff Mark Kessler. Nelson said he was unaware of the protection order, which Kessler withdrew several days later.

Republican Jason Ravnsborg has three speeding tickets, one of which was dismissed, and citations for a muffler and a stop sign violation. Larry Rhoden, also a Republican, has one speeding ticket, which was dismissed.

The records of the other two Republicans competing in the primary, former Gov. Mike Rounds and former U.S. Sen. Larry Pressler, are spotless.

The lone Democrat, Rick Weiland, has four speeding tickets, a 1994 ticket for lacking proper license plates and a ticket last year for not having proof of insurance.

Some of the candidates have also been involved in lawsuits.

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Information from: Argus Leader, https://www.argusleader.com

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