Hunter
10/09/23
The Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board is proposing tougher penalties for candidates who commit ethics violations.
The Gazette reports that Zach Goodrich, executive director and legal counsel of the Board, is in his second year at the position. One of his initiatives is the collecting of unpaid fines issued by the board, three quarters of which are owed by campaigns for seats in the Iowa Legislature.
Among the violations include one case in which a government employee accepted thousands of dollars in illegal gifts in exchange for preferential treatment from the state agency. In another case, a politician knowingly filed false campaign reports to cover up who was funding the campaign and how the money was being spent. Goodrich told the Gazette that the politician told him that people at the Iowa Capitol said to not worry about laws enforced by the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board because there are no real consequences.
New policies require payment within 30 days of fine notices, with second and third notices now being sent. Over $27,500 in fines dating back to 2018 remained unpaid, but nearly 1000 previously unpaid fines over the past three state budget years have now been paid.
The Board now wants the Iowa Legislature to have the state’s transportation department suspend the violator’s driver’s license if the fine is unpaid. Goodrich says it’s only fair that politicians get the same treatment as ordinary citizens, who have their licenses suspended for unpaid court fees.