Did Branstad break the law?
Des Moines, Iowa --During a townhall meeting in Rockwell City yesterday, Governor Terry Branstad told an Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (Iowa CCI) member from Webster County that an ethics complaint filed against Iowa Regent Bruce Rastetter by Iowa CCI members would be dismissed by the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board on August 23.
“There is supposed to be a firewall between the governor’s office and the ethics board,” said Hugh Espey, Iowa CCI’s executive director. “If that firewall has been breached, it could be an even bigger scandal than Rastetter pushing ISU to support a corporate land-grab in Tanzania.”
Members of the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board are appointed by the governor to six year terms, but the board itself is supposed to be independent and free from any influence from the governor’s office. Iowa CCI member say they believe it is against Iowa law for the governor’s office to have any communication with the ethics board about pending complaints.
On Wednesday, an Iowa CCI member from Webster County attended a townhall meeting in Rockwell City and publicly asked Branstad if he would fire Rastetter. Branstad told the gathered crowd that he supported Rastetter but would wait for an August 23 decision by the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board before considering the matter.
However, the Webster County man – who has ties to Iowa State University and wishes not to be identified for fear of reprisals - says he approached Branstad privately after the townhall had concluded to press Branstad further and that the governor told him the complaint would be dismissed.
“Branstad did say it was his understanding that this was all going to be dismissed anyway,” the Webster County man told Iowa CCI staff who transcribed the conversations. “He didn't say where he heard that. But he offered that himself. It wasn't about me probing him or anything he just offered it himself. So a bell went off in my head that they were going to just sweep this thing under the rug.”
Governor Branstad has been hounded by questions regarding Rastetter’s ethical conduct during townhall tours of Iowa the last two weeks, including in Bloomfield in SE Iowa on August 1, in Coon Rapids in Western Iowa on August 6, and in Rockwell City on August 8.
Iowa CCI members called Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board executive director Megan Tooker Thursday morning and left a message on her voicemail asking for comment. Iowa CCI members also sent her a letter Thursday morning demanding answers.
Join hundreds of other Iowans calling on Gov. Branstad to fire Bruce Rastetter — the man unable to separate his role as an Iowa public Regent from his personal financial interest.
Join the fight
Contact us for more information
Join as an Iowa CCI member today or chip in $10 to support our organizing on this issue.
Sign up for our E-Mail Action list to get the latest updates