BUFFALO GAP, S.D. – Buffalo Gap Town Trustee Travis Lasseter is asking a Custer County judge to review a recall petition filed against him, saying the petition fails to follow state rules governing the recall process.

Lasseter’s attorneys, South Dakota State Senator Amber Hulse and former Federal Election Commission Chairman Trey Trainor of Dhillon Law Group, filed the challenge in Custer County Circuit Court. The legal filing has drawn attention across Custer County and the surrounding Rapid City area.

At the heart of the dispute is a longstanding disagreement over property boundaries and municipal rights-of-way in Buffalo Gap, located south of Rapid City. Lasseter says that disagreement has been turned into a series of public accusations about his character and community service.

“I’ve spent most of my life just trying to do right by people,” Lasseter said. “I stepped up to serve Buffalo Gap because I care about this town and want to fix things. Folks can disagree with me; that’s part of the job. But a land dispute that should’ve been settled a long time ago shouldn’t turn into people spreading things about me that just aren’t true.”

Court documents state the fences central to the dispute were already in place when Lasseter purchased the property and had been there since approximately 2004. Lasseter installed an interior livestock fence in March 2024, prior to taking office as a Town Trustee.

The town had also been working on broader right-of-way issues involving several local landowners. On Aug. 26, the town held a special meeting with six affected property owners. Four of those owners, including Lasseter, expressed interest in pursuing the vacation of the affected rights-of-way.

The lawsuit focuses on specific statutory formatting requirements, arguing that the filed petition contains major procedural defects.

“We hope the remaining members of the Buffalo Gap Town Council do the right thing and reject these petitions,” Trainor said. “They were not properly notarized or formatted, and those requirements matter. The integrity of the recall process depends on everyone following the same rules.”

According to the court filing, the recall petition consists of eight physical sheets, but only the first sheet contains a sworn verification by the circulator. The remaining seven sheets lack verification. Additionally, the filing alleges the petition sheets were printed on only one side with blank backs, violating state regulations that require petition sheets to be self-contained and printed front and back.

Attorneys argue these rules exist to ensure petition integrity and protect public servants from unfounded personal attacks.

“This is also about a person’s reputation,” Hulse said. “Our client served his country in the armed forces, leads the area pregnancy resource center helping women and families during some of their most vulnerable moments, previously served as a county commissioner, and now serves his community as a town trustee.”

Hulse emphasized that property disputes should not be converted into damaging public claims.

“A land dispute that should have been resolved years ago does not justify spreading false and damaging accusations about him. Suggesting that he had anything to do with the embezzlement of town resources or that he has lied in a public forum is simply false. A recall process should never be used to turn a personal dispute into a public smear campaign,” Hulse said.

“I’m especially proud to bring my education and election law background home to the Black Hills,” Hulse added, noting her connections to the region near Rapid City. “These are the communities that raised me, and it means a great deal to be able to help protect both the integrity of the process and a local public servant’s reputation.”

Lasseter noted that finding legal representation in smaller towns outside the regional hub of Rapid City can present unique challenges.

“I’m also thankful to Amber, Trey, and Dhillon Law Group for stepping in to help me,” Lasseter said. “In a small area like ours, conflicts can make it hard to even find a lawyer who’s able to take your case, let alone ones with this kind of experience. I’m grateful to have lawyers who knows this area and are willing to stand up for me.”

The lawsuit asks the circuit court to review the recall petition on an expedited basis to determine whether it meets South Dakota statutory requirements and to pause further recall proceedings while those legal questions are evaluated.