Frank Kloucek isn't backing down

You could have knocked me over with a feather this AM when I saw this in my e-mail box. Senator Frank Kloucek, who is in dutch with several people, including the SD Farmers Union for the window into his personal thoughts (As provided by Frank to the Argus, Aberdeen paper, Yankton paper, Mitchell paper, Avon paper, etc.), instead of offering apologies to the SDFU is coing out swinging against them:


S.D. FARMERS UNION BOARD MEMBER REQUESTS S.D.'S ATTORNEY GENERAL INVESTIGATE RIDGEFIELD FARMS, LLC

SCOTLAND, SD--A Long-time South Dakota Farmers Union board member has requested S.D. Attorney General Larry Long to investigate the controversy concerning Ridgefield Farms, LLC.

S.D. Farmers Union District 1 president and SDFU board member Frank
Kloucek sent the letter to AG Long Saturday evening via fax and email through Kloucek's attorney, Todd D. Epp of Harrisburg, SD.

"As a SDFU board member, I have been extremely frustrated in doing my duty of due diligence in getting answers about SDFU's investments in Ridgefield Farms, others' investments in Ridgefield Farms, and what appears to be the failure of the Ridgefield Farms beef project," Kloucek wrote in his letter to AG Long.

Kloucek says he has not been able to get straight answers for his questions about investment and accounting practices.

"In my opinion, there is an immediate need for an investigation by your office into this matter," Kloucek wrote. "In my efforts to do due diligence in this matter as an SDFU board member over the past two years, I have exhausted all avenues at my disposal to obtain answers. I have repeatedly asked SDFU officers and consultants for information and clarification. I have received nothing of significance from these inquiries."

Kloucek, a life-long resident of Scotland, a farmer, and a lifetime member of SDFU, says it is time for answers and action so investors know what happened. He believes AG Long is the right person for the job.

"You (AG Long) have a reputation for not letting politics interfere with the operation of your office," Kloucek wrote. "You go where the facts and the laws lead you."

Kloucek also sent a copy of the letter to the S.D. Division of Securities for their possible action.
Well... That's an interesting turn of events. After sending out a press release with such statements as:
"At the last two state farmers union convention Dennis weise had people follow
me around the convention and listen to my comments and try to discredit me
because i disagreed with him on his policy and wastefull and ibelief unethiucal
illegal spending of sdfu money. HIS wife julie harragned me and followed me to
the mens bathroom on the last afternoon during the final election last feb. She
should have been following her son and her husband."
attached to it, one would have thought humility would have been the recipe of the day. Instead, through his attorney (Todd Epp, whom I write the LDRDSD weblog with) Frank is going on the attack against the SDFU, who I'm told has been contemplating kicking him out of the group after he made these comments.

But this still doesn't resolve the hard feelings that are sure to exist among his caucus mates, such as Scott Heidepreim (who is surely mad at Frank's embarassing blunder of including their conversation attached to a press release), or BJ Nesselhuf, or even Dan Sutton.

Worst of all with Dan Sutton, Frank publicly brings up the fact that Dan was in charge of Democratic Interns, and supposedly allowed them to go to the "free liquor room" where they'd be drunk by 4pm. This is not good for the Senator facing allegations of the sexual groping of an high school employee. Now we have other questions being brought up with regard to how he managed college aged employees.

I'm sure there will continue to be more forthcoming on this, as the Mainstream Media hasn't even begun to touch on the story yet. But I have heard that several of them are working on it.

Why? Well, check out some of the e-mail addresses incuded in Frank's infamous e-mail header:

pharrima@argusleader.com; nhamiel@mitchellrepublic.com; newsroom@yankton.net; avonclarion@hotmail.com; jackbillion@sio.midco.net; americannews@aberdeennews.com;

They all got the press release with "an extra bonus story" attached. And what would Frank think is going to happen if he sends out something with that kind of political dynamite attached?

Stay tuned. This one isn't going away.

Comments

Anonymous said…
PP-

I hope you now reproduce the entire original email to expose the credibility (or dire lack of it) of its author. People need to see the unedited Kloucek.

Frank, with his own hand, portrays the kind of a mean-spirited double-dealer he really is by stabbing his pals in the back. We're sick of it in Farmers Union and I can't imagine how he can possibly be tolerated by Scott Heidepriem, B.J. Nesselhuf or anyone else in the Democrat caucus.

This newest assault, at least, shows him being up front about his agenda to wreck Farmers Union from within. Backed into a corner by his own vindictiveness, the real Frank Kloucek emerges thrusting his venom and hatred at a century-old trusted organization that sensibly refuses to elect him to positions beyond the board of directors.

Kloucek is no freedom fighter, which is what he often calls himself. He is an obstructionist of the worst order. His idea of getting ahead is to contrive stories which make everyone around him appear corrupt -- except Frank.
Anonymous said…
Quick everyone, Look over there.

Sad Sad Sad
Anonymous said…
What a laugh!!! I wonder if others thought the same thing after reading these two paragraphs:

"Kloucek, a life-long resident of Scotland, a farmer, and a lifetime member of SDFU, says it is time for answers and action so investors know what happened. He believes AG Long is the right person for the job.

"'You (AG Long) have a reputation for not letting politics interfere with the operation of your office," Kloucek wrote. "You go where the facts and the laws lead you.'"

My guess is that as soon as said that, Frank went on a rant to six of his friends about all the dirt he has on Republican Larry Long. I also would guess that Larry Long is smart enough to look at Frank's request only long enough to pitch it in the trash and let the public know that Frank's dreaming again.

Frank's got to stop writing his own press releases and quoting himself. He's going to start believing his own goofy statements.
Anonymous said…
This really is just beyond desperate, I mean how does attacking Farmers Union draw fire away from his earlier comments on FU, the Wiese family, BJ, and Sutton.

You can't stab people in the back and then turn around and try to make believe that you are just looking for the truth. And if this is the model for a democrat and a farmers union board member in South Dakota, then good riddance to both those organizations.
Anonymous said…
So Epp was fired by Billion and hired by Kloucek...good career track there
Anonymous said…
now why is it that a sitting South Dakota State Senator needs an attorney to write a letter on his behlaf to request an investigation?
Anonymous said…
Here we go again. The liberal Argus Leader and Mitchell Daily Republic and the Yankton paper are ignoring one of the biggest gaffes in state political history. This was scooped on War College for a couple days now and still nothing. Do these reporters take weekends off? Or are they just protecting another big fat liberal in Pierre?

Meanwhile it's a front page feature if Governor Rounds is caught picking his nose in the airplane. Where is the Kloucek expose??? The fool sent them an email loaded with slanders and then a press release. What does it take to put Kloucek under the same microscope as Governor Rounds?

Does freedom of the press mean freedom to slant the news in favor of big fat liberals?!??
Anonymous said…
“Does freedom of the press mean freedom to slant the news in favor of big fat liberals?!??”

You people are ridiculous. No impartial person would ever call Kloucek a liberal. I understand that rule number 1 in the GOP playbook is ‘call every democrat a liberal’ but you just make yourself look stupid when partisan when you overuse it.
Anonymous said…
Why is the Argus ignoring this story about Kloucek?

One word: Bias
Anonymous said…
you gotta be kiddin'! kloucek is a cagey liberal .... and yes he's fat.

he voted on both sides to banning abortions. the only life he cares about is his political career.

his legislation usually calls for a lot of social spending on prescription drugs, elderly nutrition, farm handouts, teacher pay, etc. kloucek's a big tax and spender.

he's always got his hand out for free food and drinks on the lobbyists in pierre. as with taxpayers, frank loves to spend money as long as someone else is buyin'.

he bilks lobbyists and fellow legislators out of money for his silly busloads of constituents who come to pierre so he can get his pictures and news releases in his district's newspapers.

the problem with the press is they're lazy. it doesn't matter if they're liberal or not. who gives a rat's ass about that.

step aside mr. rabid dawg. the dawg catcher has entered the war college. i repeat, the dawg catcher's in the war college.
Anonymous said…
9:57 am - Why bother PP for the full contents of the email message when you can easily get it from Jack Billion. Didn't he campaign on open government? Make Jack keep his promise. Then you can share with the rest of us.
Anonymous said…
7:41 - I realize you are just being ironic but that is stupid. Explain to me what an email between privite citizens has to do with open government.
PP said…
8:39 - I believe 7:41's point was that it was not a private e-mail. It was sent out as part of a press release.

And I'm almost a bit hesitant to post the whole thing, because there's parts that go beyond criticism into out and out slander of people no longer involved in politics.
Anonymous said…
pp-

It was sent to the public, and it is not your words...Let it fly
Anonymous said…
"now why is it that a sitting South Dakota State Senator needs an attorney to write a letter on his behlaf to request an investigation?"

Maybe Epp is the only person Kloucek knows who can spell!
Anonymous said…
Why aren't any of the state's newspapers printing the email? They're barely talking about it... If SDWC hadn't put the story out there, would any of us know about it?
Anonymous said…
PP--print the freakin email already..it is cruel to only put bits of it out there so we all salivate waiting for the bone...come on it's not you slandering it's Kloucek, and everyone who gives a crap knows that...nothing can happen to you...but SOMETHING should happen to Kloucek..what an absolute moron...If I were the people that he wrote about, I would NOT let this die!! Jesus as if these two families haven't already been through enough, Kloucek should be hugely reprimanded!!!!!!
Anonymous said…
Was Epp really fired from Billion's staff?


When Kloucek is talking about the investigation, he is basically referring to investigating Dennis Wiese and his consulting with Ridgefield.

There is nothing to investigate into Farmers Union...they were gracious enough to put up the money..and they trusted Ridgefield and Dennis.
So really Frank's investigation should go to the source which is Dennis and Ridgefield. I don't trust Dennis Wiese anymore.
Anonymous said…
11:32 p.m. You are right. The question on the table is: What happened to the million dollars that Farmers Union gave to Ridgefield Farms.

A full financial statment should be made available to the South Dakota Farmers Union membership and to the investors. A few months before Ridgefield moved to Flandrau, a major investor pulled his funds out because the financial statements were not timely nor up-to-date. Smart of him to do so.

It's too bad the entire board cannot work together to get this answer out to the people. The loss of this million dollars to Ridgefield farms is no small matter and it deserves an answer.

Are they saying that if they remove Frank from the board, they will then themselves find and give an honest answer? Or remove Frank so the entire issue is closed?

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