# The Lowdown: Judge Sallsman's Ranch Mystery

> Lee discovers Judge Sallsman's corrupt ranch program after Governor Washberg's release.
- Title: The Lowdown: Judge Sallsman's Ranch Mystery · AV Club
- Summary: Lee discovers Judge Sallsman's corrupt ranch program after Governor Washberg's release.
- Keywords: the lowdown, judge sallsman, fresh start diversion program, governor washberg, lee, mekko dean, sheriff thorne, woodrell county, dances with wolves, yellowstone, AV Club
- Source: AV Club — https://avclub.com/the-lowdown-recap-season-2-episode-5-a-dog-with-two-tails
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: the lowdown, judge sallsman, fresh start diversion program, governor washberg, lee, mekko dean, sheriff thorne, woodrell county, dances with wolves, yellowstone, entertainment, culture
## Mystery deepens
The Lowdown's second season reveals Mekko Dean's disappearance involves deeper corruption than initially thought.
## Judge Sallsman's power
Judge Jed Sallsman, played by John Hawkes, appears as a two-faced cowboy with connections to Woodrell County's leadership.
## Governor Washberg's role
Governor Donald Washberg, a politically savvy figure, uses his influence to free Lee from Sheriff Thorne's custody.
## Ranch tour
Sallsman invites Lee and Washberg on a tour of his Tallgrass ranch, which serves as a front for his diversion program.
## Fresh Start program
Fresh Start is a meatpacking facility where incarcerated men work without guards, marketed as a solution to prison overcrowding.
## Lee's skepticism
Lee questions the authenticity of Fresh Start, noticing inconsistencies in its promotional video and Sallsman's claims.
## Governor's manipulation
Washberg tries to keep Lee in check by questioning his knowledge of cattle and Fresh Start, but Lee remains defiant.
## Ginger's danger
Ginger becomes haunted after learning Deborah's son Nathan died under mysterious circumstances and Deborah later dies from carbon monoxide poisoning.
## Ginger's escape
Ginger is confronted by McMann and Lonnie at a gas station, who threaten her with violence after she learns about Mekko Dean's death.
## Lee's realization
Lee realizes he has become entangled in a dangerous web of corruption involving Mekko Dean's disappearance.
## Mekko's fate
Mekko Dean's death is linked to a mysterious incident involving Nathan, who died under unclear circumstances.
## The hornet's nest
Lee's investigation into Mekko Dean's disappearance has created a dangerous situation for himself and Ginger.
## Key takeaway

Lee learns Mekko Dean's disappearance involves Judge Sallsman's Fresh Start diversion program.