PIERRE, S.D. (KELO AM) Outspoken State Senator Stace Nelson has basically been asked to put up or shut up by the committee he serves on that is investigating the Gear Up Scandal.
Legislative Government Operations & Audit Committee Co-Chair Jean Hunhoff says committee members want Nelson to provide evidence for the allegations he's been making.
"To provide verifiable sources for questions he continues to ask and is not getting satisfaction, or does not perceive that those answers are being provided."
And it looks like Senator Nelson will have a lot to say next week. In an email to the Department of Legislative Audit, the Fulton Republican is asking for 10 hours to give evidence, and insists he needs to serve witness summons on at least 6 people.
He also takes a shot at Committee Co-Chair and fellow Republican, Deb Peters, in asking for time and staff to back up his allegations.
"...the corruption Senator Peters is attempting to distract from and run “interference” for." Nelson says in the email.
GOAC has been investigating troubles in the Gear Up program that was designed to help Native American students. Gear Up really blew up after Scott Westerhuis murdered his family, then himself. Westerhuis was a top official with Mid-Central Education Cooperative in Platte that was running Gear Up.
Senator Nelson on KELO Radio's Greg Belfrage Show recently, called Gear Up "an ugly, sordid tale that goes back 12 years."
An email that GOAC recently received from the State Education Department suggests that Melody Schopp knew of problems with the program 11 years ago before she became State Education Secretary. Reportedly, education officials say Schopp didn't take the email seriously because it was from a disgruntled employee who was losing her job.
(Jerry Oster, WNAX, Yankton, contributed to this report)