Charlie Smithson, the secretary of the Iowa Senate, complained to the administrator in charge of the Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Agency (IOSHA) about a “hazard alert letter” by agency inspectors criticizing how the Republican leaders who appointed Smithson failed to address COVID-19 concerns in the Iowa State Capitol Building, and suggested the letter might […]
Sexual harassment
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Anita Hill to speak in Iowa City
The University of Iowa Lecture Committee’s first event of 2020 will bring an American icon to Iowa City. On Jan. 23, Anita Hill will present a talk titled “From Social Movement to Social Impact: Putting an End to Sexual Harassment” at the Iowa Memorial Union. The event is free and open to the public.
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State bypassed standard procedures to settle sexual harassment case just days before last November’s election
Shortly before last November’s election, state government officials bypassed normal procedures and quickly agreed to a multi-million dollar settlement of sexual harassment claims against a longtime friend and political ally of Gov. Kim Reynolds, the Associated Press’ Ryan J. Foley reported on Thursday. Foley obtained correspondence between Iowa Solicitor General Jeff Thompson and Paige Fielder, […]
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Iowa Senate Ethics Committee holds four-minute meeting on sexual misconduct complaint against Sen. Nate Boulton, dismisses complaint
The Iowa State Senate Ethics Committee unanimously dismissed a sexual harassment complaint against Sen. Nate Boulton on Thursday. The meeting to consider the complaint filed against Boulton by Des Moines attorney Sharon Wegner lasted only four minutes. The committee didn’t examine the merits of Wegner’s complaint, ruling instead that because the alleged incident occurred in […]
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Sen. Nate Boulton says sexual misconduct complaint against him doesn’t ‘ring true’
Sen. Nate Boulton has told the Iowa State Senate Ethics Committee that the woman who accused him of sexual misconduct may be lying, the Associated Press reported on Monday. A complaint filed last month with the committee by Des Moines attorney Sharon Wegner alleges Boulton repeatedly grabbed her buttocks at an East Village bar on […]
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Sexual harassment complaint against Sen. Nate Boulton filed with the Iowa Senate Ethics Committee
State Sen. Nate Boulton dropped out of the race for the Democratic nomination for governor in May, after the Des Moines Register reported three women had accused Boulton of “touching them without their consent,” but rejected calls for him to step down from the Senate. One of those women, Sharon Wegner, has now filed a […]
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Nate Boulton says he’s staying in the Iowa State Senate despite accusations of sexual misconduct
In a statement released late Monday afternoon, Democrat Nate Boulton said he plans to remain in the Iowa State Senate, despite the allegation of sexual misconduct that forced him to drop out of the race for governor in May. “The responsibilities I have to my constituents and as a dedicated advocate for working families across […]
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Democratic candidate for governor Nate Boulton accused of sexual misconduct (Updated)
Update: On Thursday morning, Nate Boulton announced he was suspending his campaign for governor. On Wednesday, the Des Moines Register broke the news that three women have accused Nate Boulton of “touching them without their consent.” Boulton, a first term state senator, is currently running for the Democratic nomination for governor. The Register’s Brianne Pfannenstiel […]
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Dix move: Disgraced ex-Iowa Senate Republican leader quietly gives the GOP his six-figure reelection fund
Former Iowa Senate Republican leader Bill Dix’s reelection campaign had collected more than half a million dollars in donations when Dix resigned from the Senate and quit politics in March following Iowa Starting Line’s publication of a video of the married politician kissing a lobbyist in a Des Moines bar. On Tuesday, Ryan Foley of […]
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‘It was physically unpleasant and humiliating’: Tom Brokaw accused of sexual harassment
A former NBC news correspondent has accused Tom Brokaw of sexual harassment, Variety reported on Thursday. Linda Vester told the magazine Brokaw, a University of Iowa alum who anchored the NBC Nightly News for 22 years, made unwanted sexual advances that included physical contact on two occasions in 1990s. On Thursday night, The Washington Post […]
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‘It’s not safe for women to be around him’: Letter that led to firing of Iowa Finance Authority director released
On Thursday afternoon, Gov. Kim Reynolds’ office reversed its previous stated position, and released the letter that led the governor to fire Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) Director Dave Jamison last month. The governor’s office had originally responded to an open records request from the Associated Press that it had no written documents related to the […]
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Gov. Reynolds refuses to disclose records about her firing of the Iowa Finance Authority director
Gov. Kim Reynolds is refusing to explain what led her to fire the director of the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) last month. When the governor’s office announced the firing of IFA Director Dave Jamison on Saturday, March 24, it issued a press release stating: “On Friday evening, the governor’s office was made aware of credible […]
