Reporter Pleads Guilty To Using Gov. Kristi Noem’s Cell Number In Prank

On Tuesday, a former local news reporter pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct misdemeanor charge resulting from a prank phone call he made using South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s (R) personal cellphone number.

According to the Associated Press, Austin Goss admitted to making a pre-recorded prank call in January to the former chairman of the South Dakota Republican Party, Dan Lederman. Goss was a Capitol Bureau reporter for South Dakota ABC affiliate KOTA and Dakota News Now before being dismissed from his employment.

Initially, Goss had been charged with a misdemeanor count of making threatening, harassing or misleading communications.