Governor Kim Reynolds Can’t Get Her Story Straight on Sexual Harassment Allegations Within Her Administration

After her office implausibly claimed to not have a single record about the firing of her friend and long-time ally Dave Jamison following allegations of workplace sexual harassment against him, Governor Kim Reynolds’ office abruptly changed course yesterday. Despite now acknowledging that they have evidence about this situation, Reynolds is refusing to release even a redacted version of the complaint that allegedly led to Jamison’s firing. The Associated Press reported:

Gov. Kim Reynolds’ office is reversing course and acknowledging it does have a written complaint detailing sexual harassment allegations against a longtime ally whom she fired.
The office said last week it had no such records in response to a request from The Associated Press, which sought all correspondence related to the allegations against Iowa Finance Authority Director David Jamison.
After the AP reported on that denial Monday, Reynolds’ aides said hours later they were mistaken and that they did receive a written complaint on March 23. They called it an office error in not disclosing the complaint earlier.
However, Reynolds’ office said it would withhold the complaint from the public, claiming it’s exempt from the open records law. Reynolds says in a new statement to AP that the victims asked for confidentiality and that she will honor their request.

“Governor Reynolds’ office has shown itself willing to withhold facts and mislead the public about this situation, making it even more important that she release all relevant information and evidence related to the firing of her longtime friend for alleged sexual harassment,” said DGA Press Secretary Melissa Miller. “Iowa’s taxpayers and victims of sexual harassment deserve nothing less than full transparency so the people of the state can get to the bottom of what exactly happened at the Iowa Finance Authority, what their governor knew about it, and when she knew it.”