Original state flag recovered; charges likely

Authorities announced Wednesday they recovered an original state flag that went missing from the secretary of state's office.

The flag was recovered in Washington, D.C. from a former employee of the office. Attorney General Marty Jackley's office declined to release the name of the suspect because the employee hasn't been charged, but Jackley said criminal charges are anticipated.

Secretary of State Shantel Krebs said that she and Theresa Bray, a former deputy under Secretary of State Chris Nelson that Krebs re-hired, noticed the flag was missing on Jan. 2. Krebs replaced former Secretary of State Jason Gant, who didn't run for re-election last year.

"We walked in Jan. 2 and we happened to notice the flag base and flag pole, but no flag," Krebs said.

A search commenced, but after four or five weeks and no flag, Krebs said she asked Legislative Audit to conduct an audit of the office's capital assets and financial controls.

Gant said the flag was removed from the pole where it had been displayed because it was ripping. He intended to have a display case made for the flag so that both sides could be viewed. But the project didn't get done before he left office at the start of the year.

In July, the missing flag investigation was referred to the Attorney General's Office.

An investigation led the Division of Criminal Investigation to recover the flag from a former Secretary of State employee Oct. 8.

Jackley said the recovery of the original state flag preserves an important part of state history.

"I want to extend my appreciation to the Secretary of State's Office for their assistance and cooperation throughout this investigation," Jackley said.

Krebs said she plans to have the flag transferred to the Cultural Heritage Museum where it can be properly archived and displayed.

The original state flag was adopted in 1909. The flag that authorities recovered was hand-sewn and painted.

"That's what makes it so unique," Krebs said.

Here's the history of the flag as noted in the 2011 South Dakota Blue Book:

In 1909 Senator Ernest May of Deadwood came into the Historical Society office. Seth Bullock wanted a state flag. May asked Doane Robinson about it and was told by Robinson that Ida Anding, now Mrs. McNeil, former operator of KGFX radio of Pierre, who was then a stenographer in the Historical offices, would design him a flag. She did. It was a blazing sun, on an azure background. May liked the design, and Senate Bill 208 was introduced. On the floor later, he moved that 'on the reverse of the blazing sun shall appear the Great Seal of the State of South Dakota in dark blue.' This was adopted and the bill passed. Money to buy two flags was appropriated. One went to the Secretary of State, and Seth Bullock of Camp No. 1, United Spanish Veterans of South Dakota, got the other.