Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Bruce Braley (IA-01) released thefollowing statement after reports came out that Governor Branstad and his staff have continuously pressured Iowa's Workers' Compensation Commissioner Chris Godfrey to resign his independent office:
"Historically this has been a non-partisan agency whose focus has been putting Iowans back to work. Chris Godfrey is highly qualified. He was first appointed in 2006 and re-appointed in 2009 to fulfill a six-year term after being confirmed 49-0 by the Iowa Senate. He serves in a capacity that is independent of the Governor and the political climate. The Governor has injected politics into this, leaving workers and employers hanging in the balance. It's highly unusual for the Governor to pressure a Commissioner of this type into resignation. It's one thing to surround yourself with staff of your choosing, it's another to conduct a clearly political witch hunt against a qualified and competent employee."
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