Ex-official set to speak in Noem, appraiser agency probe

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - South Dakota lawmakers will meet next month to hear from a former state employee at the center of questions over whether Gov. Kristi Noem interfered in a state agency that was evaluating her daughter’s application for a real estate appraiser license.

The Legislature’s Government Operations and Audit Committee has scheduled a meeting for Dec. 14 after issuing a subpoena to Sherry Bren, the former director of the Appraiser Certification Program.

Last year, Bren’s agency had moved to deny Noem’s daughter, Kassidy Peters, an upgrade to her appraiser certification. But the governor inquired into the program, and Peters was given another opportunity to win her license.