- Trump praised South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg at a rally Saturday.
- Ravnsborg killed Joe Boever, 55, with his car in 2020, sparking legal and political repercussions.
- Ravnsborg struck a plea deal and paid a $500 fine, but is facing impeachment in South Dakota.
Former President Donald Trump praised South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg during a rally on Saturday.
"Thank you for being here. Appreciate it," Trump said to Ravnsborg, who was part of the crowd at the Save America rally in Conroe, Texas.
"They like you in Texas."
Back in South Dakota, Ravnsborg is facing widespread criticism and his popularity is extremely low.
On September 12, 2020, Ravnsborg struck and killed a 55-year-old man named Joe Boever with his car while driving through North Dakota. He pleaded no contest in a criminal trial as part of a plea deal that resulted in a $500 fine.
The death also led to the first ever impeachment proceeding in South Dakota. Those proceedings were put on hold while Ravnsborg's criminal case was active, but resumed in mid-January.
Ravnsborg told investigators with the North Dakota Bureau of Investigation that he thought Boever was a deer, and only discovered it was a human when he returned to the site of the collision the next day.
Investigators found that explanation implausible, saying Boever's DNA was found on the car's windshield and that Boever's glasses were found inside Ravnsborg's car.
"His face was in your windshield, Jason. Think about that," a detective told him during a September 30 interrogation.
Ravnsborg admitted that he was reading a news story about Hunter Biden while driving.
He was initially charged with three second-class misdemeanors, but pleaded no contest and struck a plea deal in August 2021 which saw him pay $500 for two misdemeanor charges. The third was dropped.
Ravnsborg has since settled a case for damages with Boever's widow.
Despite the scandal, Ravnsborg is seeking reelection as attorney general in the 2022 Republican Party primary.
