A Republican state senator in South Dakota who currently holds a leadership role in the legislature is now facing two felony charges, accused of forging signatures to place candidates into Republican Party positions — all without those individuals’ knowledge or consent.
State Sen. Thomas Pischke, a Republican from Dell Rapids who represents a heavily conservative district near Sioux Falls, is running for a third term this November. He has been charged with two felony counts of knowingly submitting a falsified or forged document.
Pischke turned himself in to the Minnehaha County Jail on Tuesday and was released after agreeing to appear at all future court proceedings, according to the sheriff’s office. His first court appearance is scheduled for July 7.
Jim Eschenbaum, chair of the South Dakota Republican Party, confirmed that Pischke has agreed to step back from his party responsibilities while the legal case moves forward, including his role on the executive board of the Minnehaha County Republicans.
“It’s a bad optic for the party,” Eschenbaum said Wednesday. “I’m disappointed that this has happened. But we also have to just be honest about what’s going on, you know, and deal with it.”
The Associated Press sent email messages to both Pischke and his attorney requesting comment but had not received a response as of this week.
Eschenbaum noted that a felony conviction would bar Pischke from holding any position within the state Republican Party. Whether he could continue serving in the Legislature remains an open question. Under state law, anyone convicted of perjury, bribery, or an infamous crime is prohibited from serving in the Legislature.
The Associated Press also left phone messages Wednesday with the Legislative Research Council and state Senate President Pro Tempore Chris Karr seeking clarification on that question.
Jessica Meyers, vice chair of the South Dakota Democratic Party, weighed in on the matter, saying elected officials who interfere with public processes must face consequences.
“We believe in free and fair elections at every level of the political process,” she said.
The South Dakota Republican Party’s biennial state convention kicks off Thursday, though Pischke will not be in attendance. At the convention, precinct committee members act as delegates and voting members who help shape party leadership and set the party’s direction. Between conventions, these committee members carry out local responsibilities such as voter outreach and registration.
The charges stem from a months-long investigation into the suspicious filings. The county auditor’s office flagged 16 forms for precinct committee positions that appeared to contain fraudulent signatures and mismatched registered voter addresses.
Officials from the auditor’s office contacted the people named on the suspected fraudulent forms, and most said they had never filled them out. None of those individuals appeared on the ballot during the June Republican primary, according to Eschenbaum.
Pischke admitted to completing his own form at the auditor’s office to run for precinct committeeman but denied filling out forms on behalf of anyone else, according to a court affidavit. He won that precinct committeeman position in June, the auditor’s office confirmed.
Investigators found DNA evidence matching Pischke on envelopes that contained the forms. Surveillance footage also captured a vehicle near a mail drop box that was registered in Pischke’s name.
Pischke ran without opposition in the Republican Senate primary. He will face Bryan Breitling — a former Republican state lawmaker now running as an independent — in the November general election.
Breitling said Tuesday that he entered the race because the district deserves a senator of strong character and integrity.
“These charges are the latest on a long list of poor judgments made by the senator,” he said.
