Kippley calls for Anderson to resign; auditor declines

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Tuesday morning brought a heated Minnehaha County Commission meeting in Sioux Falls in which county commissioner Joe Kippley sought county Auditor Leah Anderson’s resignation, but Anderson said she will not leave office.

Anderson has previously alleged that during the 2020 general election, there was a difference of more than 24,000 ballots when comparing audit logs in the county with the number of total ballots cast. But she cited a much smaller number Tuesday.

“This recap shows that I was able to account for the ballots that were listed on the secretary of state’s website, per these documents that I was able to look at, with a difference of 283 ballots,” Anderson said.

Anderson says she reviewed recap sheets and poll lists. That 283 figure, she explains, is the difference between the number she came up with and the data submitted to the South Dakota secretary of state.

“I am going to assume the ballots are all there because we can’t open them and look at them, and but yes, I do feel more comfortable with the number of ballots cast,” Anderson said in response to a question from county commissioner Jen Bleyenberg.

However, Kippley, who has publicly questioned Anderson’s job performance in the past, was not satisfied.

“Do you have any regrets with that press release and some of the media you did in the meantime when you put out that there were election irregularities of 24,000 votes in Minnehaha County in 2020?” Kippley said Tuesday.

“I don’t have any regrets,” Anderson said in response. “The discrepancy was there, and it’s still there, and it needed to be addressed, and it’s my job as the auditor of this county to look into any discrepancies. We have a very important election coming up in ’24.”

On that point, Anderson and Kippley agreed. But a moment later, the temperature in the room spiked.

“The auditor did certain media interviews with online entities that then used that interview to use a headline that said Minnehaha County auditor doesn’t rule out CIA involvement in election irregularities,” Kippley said. “And really what we have there is just useful idiocy for election conspiracy grifters. So that’s just my assessment of it. And this election coming up is very important, and we need an auditor with credibility, and at this point, you are the auditor who cried wolf, okay? So you have no credibility, and I, as one commissioner, would ask you to resign. Thank you, mister chair.”

“Can I respond to that?” Anderson asked in response.

“You may, you bet,” county commissioner Dean Karsky said.

“Okay, thank you. I’m not going to resign. Sorry, Mr. Kippley,” Anderson said. “However, when I was asked the question if I would rule out anything like that, I can’t rule out anything such as any other involvement because I don’t know that there’s no other involvement.”

There is no credible evidence of CIA involvement in the 2020 general election locally or nationally.

In a June statement, the South Dakota secretary of state’s office told KELOLAND News that the county canvassed the 2020 election’s results “right after the election was held and found no discrepancies at the time with those who voted, and the ballots cast.”

2024’s general election is on Nov. 5; absentee voting will begin on Sept. 20, and the voter registration deadline is Oct. 21. KELOLAND News is planning a comprehensive website that includes everything voters might want to know before casting a ballot.