LSS of South Dakota responds to DOGE, Musk threat

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – The President/CEO of Lutheran Social Services released a statement after Elon Musk and Mike Flynn posted about stopping funding Lutheran Family Services and affiliate organizations as part of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team. 

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“The @DOGE team is rapidly shutting down these illegal payments,” Musk posted on X, the social media website he owns. The post Musk reshared on X, called “Lutheran” family services and organizations as “a money laundering operation.” 

In a statement to KELOLAND News, Rebecca Kiesow-Knudsen said she’s urged LSS supporters to contact Congressional representatives to voice opposition to unfounded claims and efforts to disrupt LSS’s work in the community. 

“LSS of South Dakota is a nonprofit social ministry organization that has provided essential services to children, youth, and families across the state for over 100 years,” Kiesow-Knudsen said in a statement. “We are deeply concerned by any effort to misrepresent our work and jeopardize the funding that enables us to fulfill our mission. Nonprofit organizations like LSS are critical to the well-being of communities across South Dakota.”

You can read the full statement attached below. 

Federal-Funding-02.03.2025Download

In a post, reposted by Musk, Flynn said “Now it’s the ‘Lutheran’ faith (this use of “religion as money laundering operation must end.” The post has a spreadsheet showing Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota received payments of $934,000 on Dec. 26, 2024 and $487,769 on Jan. 16. On its website, LSS of South Dakota said the work it does impacts more than 27,000 South Dakotans each year.