(Des Moines, IA) Today Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Danny Carroll issued a further comment on the recent refusal of Democrats in the Iowa State Senate to release pertinent documents related to matters before the Oversight Committee. One day prior, Carroll had asked that related documents and emails be made available. Senate Secretary Marshall responded to Carroll’s request and declined to provide the documents.
“I have a great deal of respect for individual privacy and I firmly believe Iowa residents should have the ability to reach out to their elected officials in a private manner,” said Carroll. “With that in mind, there are two issues that absolutely need to be addressed. First, one of the Senators is a candidate for Governor and therefore has a clear conflict of interest. If Senator Hatch wants to campaign for higher office then he should do so on the campaign trail, and not on the taxpayer’s dime. Second the issue as a whole boils down to transparency in government. The members of the Senate Oversight Committee have the perfect opportunity to lead by example and remove any cloud of suspicion that their actions may have created. Quite simply, they’re not doing that.”
“Just as it’s vitally important that American citizen’s rights under our Constitution are protected, so too is it important that citizens have confidence in their government. I believe Senate Democrats are operating under a double standard and need to take action, regardless of the agenda being pushed by their party’s leadership. They need to take up House File 2462 and pass it along with the remaining budget bills, and adjourn the session.”
