On Tuesday, a consumer advocacy group announced its plans to continue litigation over South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem’s peculiar social media endorsement of a Texas dental practice despite a recent lawsuit dismissal. The lawsuit was filed by Travelers United in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, accusing Noem of posting an “undisclosed advertisement” on her various social media accounts when she endorsed Smile Texas – the Texas dental practice that put in her veneers – in a five-minute-long infomercial-style testimonial.
The case was dismissed last week due to Travelers United not presenting the court with proof that Noem had been served with the lawsuit. However, the group claims it did serve the governor, and recent events surrounding Noem lend credence to the process server’s concerns. In a filing by Lauren Wolfe, counsel for Travelers United, she stated, “Ms. Noem has recently been in the news for shooting and killing her dog. The process server felt legitimately threatened.
Wolfe noted that the process server also alleged that Governor Noem was “highly evasive,” “threatening,” and her staff “were hostile” throughout the serving process. Despite these claims, Wolfe argued that Noem was “successfully served,” and the case should not be dismissed, including notes from the process server indicating that the paperwork was eventually left with Noem’s staff.
In a response to the dismissal of the lawsuit, Governor Noem wrote on social media, “The baseless lawsuit filed by Travelers United against me was dismissed by the court last week. Their actions have exposed them as a fake watchdog group filing frivolous claims to smear me.” She added, “To be clear, I never received compensation for any alleged ‘advertisements.
Travelers United plans to continue pressing forward with litigation, stating that they would dismiss the case if they received documentation showing Governor Noem paid in full for her out-of-state dental procedure. The reason behind Noem’s testimonial for Smile Dental and its subsequent posting on social media remains unclear. Travelers United had 14 days from May 20 to contest the dismissal of the lawsuit.
