Sheriff investigating possible hacking of Loetscher campaign

With just eight days to go until the Sioux Falls Mayoral runoff election, Jolene Loetscher has filed a criminal complaint over potential hacking of her online campaign.

The Minnehaha County Sheriff's office and the state Division of Criminal Investigation confirm they are looking into it.

Loetscher says over the past several months, there have been at least 18 attempts to get into her campaign social media, email and even bank accounts.

“The social media accounts, we were locked out, when we were able to access accounts, we saw that other accounts were followed within those accounts, we had return emails that said the server had been inundated essentially with attempts to get into the email," Loetscher said.

But what started as a story about potential hacking of a mayoral candidate's online campaign has quickly turned into a heated debate between the two people vying for the mayor's office in next week's election.

“Last week, when there were files deleted out of one of our social media accounts related to the campaign, and then hacking of my family’s personal email account, we decided to take it to authorities, which was the responsible thing to do,” Loetscher said.

She says she hopes law enforcement can figure out who is behind these alleged hacks and put a stop to them.

“We went to law enforcement and we're letting them figure it out, I don't know who did it, but what I do know is there was a systematic series of attempts made,” Loetscher said.

“Pretty unbelievable claims that were made against me about being a hacker and hacking into campaign accounts,” Paul TenHaken said.

Her opponent Paul TenHaken says he believes this hacking police report is directed at him.

“It’s very clear the intent of this is to try and smear our campaign,” TenHanken said.

“When we bring up facts, that doesn't mean its negative Paul, it means that is the truth,” Loetscher said during Monday’s Rotary Club Debate.

During the Downtown Sioux Falls Rotary Club Debate Monday afternoon, TenHaken accused Loetscher of running a negative campaign.

“I called her, because we’re friends and said let’s not go negative,” TenHanken said.

TenHaken said he left Loetscher a voicemail last month asking her to keep the campaign positive.

“Paul you had left me a voicemail where you told me that you had tools in your toolbox that you could choose to use against my campaign,” Loetscher said at the Rotary Club debate.

Loetscher says she felt the voicemail was a threat.

“It gives you pause, when I heard that that's how I felt,” she said.

“When I talk about tools in the toolbox, what I mean is negative campaign tools, I had dirt on every single candidate, all seven candidates, but I don't do that,” TenHaken said at the Rotary Club debate.

Loetscher reasserts that the hacking complaint she filed with law enforcement is not directed at TenHaken.

DCI says this hacking report is an ongoing investigation. Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead said it could take weeks to get the IT data needed for the investigation.