DCI investigating unethical activities in Yankton County Equalization Department

The South Dakota Department of Criminal Investigation is looking into if there were illegal or unethical activities in the Yankton County Equalization Department regarding property tax obligations.

In a press release posted on Facebook, the Yankton County Commission wrote its attention had been brought to possible "unethical and/or illegal activities that were, are or may have been, occurring in the Office of the Director of Equalization, both past and present."

The release was published Wednesday, after someone who had access to private information from a county computer published the matter on a Yankton Facebook group.

"This release is to assist in transparency relative to that situation," according to the release. "The public is entitled to know."

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The issue had been brought up while the county commission was in executive session when it was revealed a current Director of Equalization employee as well as a former Director of Equalization had allegedly wrongfully participated in reducing the real estate and personal property tax obligations owed to Yankton County, according to the release.

Because the matter involves current and former county employees, it was turned over to the South Dakota Attorney General's office, according to the release.

Steward Huntington, the spokesperson for the Attorney General's office, confirmed the case had been referred to DCI.

No immediate action against the current county employee has been taken, according to the release.

The leak is also being investigated, according to the release.

Huntington was unaware if the leak was included in the DCI referral.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: DCI investigating unethical work in Yankton County Equalization office