Former Attorney General Vargo returns to state work with appointment by Jackley

Former South Dakota Attorney General Mark Vargo will serve as assistant attorney general for the state’s police commission, after a rotation of staff members formerly advised the commission.

Attorney General Marty Jackley appointed Vargo to the position on Dec. 31, Jackley’s office said Friday. Vargo, who was appointed attorney general in 2022 after former Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg’s impeachment and removal from office, will advise the state’s Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training Commission on training requirements and certification hearings.

“Former Attorney General Vargo understands the importance of law enforcement certification when it comes to protecting the public,” Jackley said in a news release. “Law enforcement that the public can trust is vital, and former Attorney General Vargo will provide the advice for the commission to make informed decisions.”

Vargo previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney for South Dakota from 1996 to 2011 and as Pennington County state’s attorney from 2013 until 2023, taking a leave of absence to serve temporarily as attorney general. He resigned from the county position shortly after his six-month stint as attorney general to take a 20-month, non-governmental job in Thailand “establishing the rule of law in southeast Asia,” Vargo told the Rapid City Journal upon his resignation.