Milwaukee police cite SD GOP leader for throwing phone on RNC floor – Mitchell Republic

MILWAUKEE — The executive director of the South Dakota Republican Party is facing a municipal court charge after he allegedly threw a phone on the floor of the Republican National Convention, hitting a delegate from another state.

Reggie Rhoden — the son of South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden — was cited Aug. 22 for violating Milwaukee’s indecent conduct ordinance. The citation was mailed Sept. 3.

According to testimony from Milwaukee police officer William Schroeder, Rhoden was “disruptive” at the Fiserv Forum on July 15 — the first day of the Republican National Convention.

The report came from an Aug. 22 phone call between the officer and Andrew Lauschke, a South Dakota delegate from Pennington County. Lauschke told police he was recording video on the convention floor when Rhoden “snapped” the phone out of his hand and threw it.

Rhoden allegedly did not want GOP Rep. Taffy Howard to appear in the video, the Dakota Scout reported, citing sources. Howard previously served in the South Dakota House of Representatives before she unsuccessfully challenged Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-D., for his U.S. House seat in 2022. She is currently a candidate for the South Dakota State Senate.

“Lauschke stated that the telephone struck a person from the Maryland delegation,” the statement reads.

According to the convention hall layout, the Maryland delegation sat next to the South Dakota delegation on the right side of the convention hall.

Lauschke said there was a riot and an argument before Rhoden left.

While it is not known whether the person who was allegedly hit with the phone was injured, Lauschke told police that he suffered a wrist injury as a result of the impact.

The indictment says Lauschke attempted to report the incident to numerous law enforcement agencies during the Republican National Convention, but police records do not show any reports being filed by officers at the scene.

Speaking to Schroeder on August 22, Lauschke asked to refer to Rhoden.

According to court documents, the summons is for a $195 bond and requires Rhoden to pay or appear in court. A tentative court date has been set for Nov. 24 in Milwaukee. The summons remains active because Rhoden has not yet pleaded guilty, according to the city’s online database.

Since February, Rhoden has served as executive director of the South Dakota Republican Party.

Party chairman John Wiik did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hunter, a South Dakota native, joined Forum Communications as a reporter for the Mitchell (SD) Republic in June 2021 and currently works as a digital reporter for Forum News Service.