After cutting down her weekly press conferences, Governor Reynolds’ spokesperson claimed that “Reynolds’ public schedule will remain open to media coverage and that reporters can ask questions at those events,” but in Van Buren County on Wednesday at a public event, Reynolds barred reporters from entering. This is the latest instance of the Reynolds administration’s problem with transparency including attempts to shroud her Medicaid privatization disaster and attempting to hide the appointment of her father to a judicial nominating commission.
“The gross lack of transparency is unprecedented when it comes to Kim Reynolds and her administration,” said Iowa Democratic Party Chair Troy Price. “Yesterday – not allowing reporters into an event clearly marked public on her schedule – is yet another example in a long string of instances where Governor Reynolds has tried to duck from public accountability and hide the reality of her record.”
The Reynolds Transparency Problem
April 2017: A Des Moines Register Editorial asserts of Reynolds’ privatized Medicaid, “the only meaningful transparency over the past year resulted from news media using Iowa’s Open Records law to obtain internal documents from the Iowa Department of Human Services.”
April and May 2018: Quad City Times pointed out Reynolds’ lack of transparencyand use of “take our word for it” rationale for questions surrounding the Iowa Finance Authority scandal.
May 2018: Reynolds appointed her father to a judicial nominating commission but failed to initially disclose their relationship.
July 2018: Medicaid chief has no data to support Medicaid savings claim after continuing to assure lawmakers and the public that model is saving money.
July And August 2018: Reynolds announces her weekly press conference would “become infrequent” due to her travel around the state.
WATCH: “The Reynolds Transparency Problem”
