In the wake of a lawsuit filed against her Administration’s potentially illegal budget transfer, Governor Kim Reynolds is already dodging questions and desperately trying to avoid being held accountable for her fiscal mismanagement. The Associated Press reports that Reynolds “dismissed” this serious allegation.
“Governor Reynolds can try to distract these legal questions all she wants, but Iowans deserve to know whether or not she broke the law and misused millions of taxpayer dollars to try to cover up her own mismanagement and misplaced priorities. Iowans don’t get to break the law just because it’s an election year, and neither should our Governor,” said Iowa Democratic Party Spokesperson Tess Seger.
“Democrats are stepping up to protect the people of Iowa and return the state to sound fiscal footing. It would be nice if the Governor took responsibility for her actions and joined us in tackling our serious budget problems instead of hiding behind campaign talking points.”
As a reminder, here are some of the highlights from when this issue was first raised in the fall:
DES MOINES REGISTER: Reynolds’ budget fix may violate law, state treasurer says; governor dismisses allegation
“The Economic Emergency Fund was designed to be used for real economic emergencies, not mismanagement of the budget. Today’s news is just the latest in a string of mishaps by Reynolds and GOP lawmakers,” Hall said. “They’ve borrowed over a hundred million on the state’s credit card this year and Iowans keep getting stuck with the bill.”
CEDAR RAPIDS GAZETTE: Reynolds defends her decisions on Iowa budget
“’To me, that’s a violation of the Iowa law. It’s a serious issue. In Iowa, we follow the law. If we don’t, we get in trouble,’ [said Iowa State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald].”
WHO-TV: State Treasurer Questions Legality of Governor Reynolds’ Money Transfer
ASSOCIATED PRESS: Iowa Treasurer: Budget Transfer Move Not Legally Compliant