Dave Muhlbauer, Iowa Farmers Call Out Zach Lahn for Covering Up His Running Mate’s Legal and Financial Scandals
DES MOINES – Today, nominee for lieutenant governor Dave Muhlbauer and Iowa farmers gathered to hold Zach Lahn accountable for refusing to address serious allegations that his running mate Derek Wulf is under criminal investigation and has been accused of theft and fraud.
Lahn has no real plan to bring down costs for farmers and chose a running mate whose predatory business practices “contributed to their strain.” He supports reckless tariffs that are raising costs for farmers and hurting Iowa’s agricultural economy.
Read what Iowa farmers had to say below:
“Zach Lahn’s running mate is accused of defrauding farmers and threatening their livelihoods. What’s even more concerning than those accusations is that Zach Lahn claims he didn’t know about them,” said nominee for lieutenant governor Dave Muhlbauer. “Maybe if Zach Lahn spent more time in Iowa instead of Kansas, he might’ve known about Wulf’s problems. Instead, he made a rushed and reckless decision in choosing his running mate and is now trying to sweep it all under the rug. That’s disqualifying, and Iowans cannot trust Zach Lahn if this is who he picks to be his running mate.”
“Lahn’s answer is he didn’t know about any of this when he picked [Derek Wulf], but my question is why … Maybe if he spent a little less time in Kansas, he could have heard what folks are saying up around Black Hawk County, what they already knew,” said Tony Thompson, farmer and State Senate District 23 candidate. “Where I’m from, when something goes wrong, you own it. You answer the hard questions, you square up with the people you owe. Lahn’s had weeks, but he keeps on ducking … Until Zach Lahn explains himself, I sure wouldn’t take his word to the bank.”
“When you have a pattern of behavior in which a farm continually fails to pay, continually ends up in trouble … You’re hurting other people in your community when you’re behaving in this fashion,” said Madison County farmer Ryan Marquardt. “If Lahn’s going to ignore these red flags and proceed with a candidate like this, that begs the question: If he’s going to do that at this level, what would he do with the state level?”
“Lahn’s lack of due diligence and reckless decision-making in choosing Wulf as his running mate is disqualifying for anyone running for governor,” said Cyndy Coppola, who farms in Webster and Calhoun counties. “Lahn has tried to frame Wulf’s legal and financial problems as standard operating practices for Iowa farmers in hard times. I say sentiments like these are an insult to the vast majority of Iowa farmers who believe in honesty, fair business practices, and integrity. The fact that the Iowa Farm Bureau refused to endorse Lahn speaks volumes … Iowa farmers deserve a governor who is thoughtful and believes in honesty and accountability. And all Iowans deserve a leader with character that we can trust. That is not Zach Lahn or Derek Wulf.”
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