DES MOINES, IOWA (June 21, 2023) — State Auditor Rob Sand has released a statement on his decision to vote no to using nearly $175,000 of tax-payers’ money to settle two lawsuits filed against Governor Kim Reynolds and her administration for violating open-records laws.
“These insiders have no shame. They abuse your rights, and then want to use your money to pay for having abused you,” said Auditor Sand. “I will not go along with this disgusting abuse of power.”
Members of the media and the Freedom of Information Council sued Gov Reynolds, her office, and members of her staff after they ignored multiple deadlines to fulfill public-records requests between April 2020 and November 2021. Only after the lawsuits were filed, more than a year after the request came in, did the Governor and her administration produce the requested records. The Iowa Supreme Court called it an “unreasonable delay.”
Iowa Code Chapter 22.10(3) requires insiders who violate the law to pay the fees and costs associated with the violation and a fine. The law also allows for the removal from office if the violator is found to have committed the same offense twice within one term. The settlement Auditor Sand voted against instead uses tax-payer dollars to pay fees and costs, has no fine, and won’t count as an offense towards removal from office.
“The Iowa Supreme Court, with all justices appointed by Republican governors, ruled unanimously that Gov Reynolds’ arguments in these cases held no water,” said Auditor Sand. “This is a brazen scam by those whose salaries are paid by taxpayers, to skirt a law requiring their own personal responsibility for the fees and fines for hiding public records and using tax-payer funds instead.”
Auditor Sand’s letter to his fellow State Appeal Board members sent prior to the vote is attached.