From Brenna Findley for Iowa:
Miller Interview Riddled With Misinformation, Distortions and False Character Attacks. Why Can’t Iowa’s Attorney General Stick to the Truth?
FACT CHECK
In an interview in today’s Spencer Daily Reporter Attorney General Tom Miller made several claims that are either misinformation, distortions or just plain wrong. Here are some of Miller’s most egregious claims that need to be set straight.
Miller quote: "My passion is using the law for the interest of ordinary Iowans: not special interests, not the big guys," he told The Daily Reporter.
Reality check: Then why did Tom Miller accept $10,000 from the DeCosters, the only habitual violators in Iowa, after prosecuting them?
Source: Miller to Return DeCoster Donation, Des Moines Register, August 31, 2010
(http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100831/NEWS/8310366/Miller-to-return-DeCoster-donation ), Iowa Attorney General Criticized for Taking Donation from Egg Recall Farm, Fox News (AP), August 30, 2010 (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/30/iowa-attorney-general-criticized-taking-donation-egg-recall-farm/ )
Miller quote: "For too long, we didn’t have enough emphasis or concern for victims of crime; that’s changed," he said.
Reality check: – The record shows that under Tom Miller the Attorney General’s office has been asleep at the switch on the issue of crime. Because Tom Miller’s office missed a deadline, the Iowa Supreme Court ordered the release of two men who were convicted as sexually violent predators. How can we feel safe when Tom Miller can’t even meet basic deadlines to put dangerous violent sexual predators behind bars? Isn’t that the most basic of his responsibilities as Attorney General?
Source: Iowa Supreme Court orders release of men committed as violent predators, Associated Press, July 3, 2010 (http://thegazette.com/2010/07/03/iowa-supreme-court-orders-release-of-men-committed-as-violent-predators/ http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/IA-Sexually-Violent-070510,
Miller quote: "I base my decisions on the law, not ideology or politics and that’s what I’ve always done."
Reality check: Tom Miller is thick as thieves with Chet Culver’s culture of corruption: his top lieutenant, Donn Stanley, is managing Culver’s campaign while on leave from the Attorney General’s office at the very time campaign is under investigation for campaign finance violations. Findley held Miller’s feet to the fire and pressured him into appointing a Special Prosecutor to end the conflict of interest. However, Miller appointed one of Culver’s donors to head the investigation and to date no information has been released. And Miller himself advised against firing Alcoholic Beverages Division head (and former Miller top lieutenant) Lynn Walding. An investigation by the Auditor, not the Attorney General later uncovered wasteful spending, improprieties, and mismanagement after Walding’s tenure had expired. Potential Conflict Merits Review, Des Moines Register, Kathie Obradovich blog, April 25, 2010
http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/tag/attorney-general-tom-miller/ Changes Set for Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier, August 3, 2010 (http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_56da833d-7e18-585e-b498-70648eeacd6a.html
Miller quote: "I know that she graduated from law school about nine years ago," he said. "For seven years, she worked for Steve King … as an aide and chief of staff and legal advisor. She never practiced law in Iowa and has not lived in Iowa as an adult until she started running for attorney general."
Reality check: These personal attacks on Brenna Findley are completely false. This sort of character assassination ought to be below a sitting attorney general. At the very least he ought to get his facts straight. Brenna Findley earned her college degree from Drake University while working full time to pay for school. After graduating from law school Brenna Findley spent 18 months working in Silicon Valley and then returned to Iowa where she has continuously lived, voted and paid state taxes. While serving the 32 counties in western Iowa that comprise the Fifth District she worked both in Iowa and Washington, DC advocating for Iowans because all too often the folks in Washington try to enact policies that harm Iowans. Currently, she is a lawyer in private practice with the Whitaker Hagenow law firm. Brenna Findley grew up on the farm her family still owns and has been a life-long Iowan. Tom Miller needs to issue an apology immediately.
The Spencer Daily Reporter article can be found here: http://www.spencerdailyreporter.com/story/1669078.html