Senator wants information about Branstad’s allegations of state employee abuse

DES MOINES — A Democratic state senator on Wednesday asked Republican Gov. Terry Branstad to provide specifics on incidents of elder abuse, child abuse and sexual misconduct involving state employees that the governor cited in comments to reporters earlier in the week.

Sen. Rob Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told Senate colleagues during a floor speech that he was disturbed to read Branstad comments to reporters that state employees had been dismissed for incidents of elder abuse, child abuse and sexual misconduct that have gone unreported to the public because of employee confidentiality agreements and personnel protections in state law.

Asked during Monday’s weekly news conference how many incidents of abuse or assault by state employees are taking place, Branstad responded, “I don’t know, but there are a lot of them.”

Hogg said the governor “laid down some very serious allegations” that beg for more information. He wrote the governor’s office requesting details about the incidents, when they happened and within which state agencies, as well as information on when the governor’s office was informed about the allegations and how the administration responded.

“It is unacceptable to have state employees, if it’s true, engaging in criminal conduct, and it’s also unacceptable to not have that criminal conduct reported to the proper authorities,” Hogg said.

“We need to know for each incident when the governor’s office was informed, and for each incident, we need to know what the governor or his office did in response to the information that they were provided,” the state senator said. “There are thousands, if not tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of Iowans, who when confronted with allegations of child abuse, elder abuse or sexual abuse, are under a legal obligation to report that to law enforcement authorities, and I would certainly hope the governor’s office has met that standard.”

Before a town hall meeting in Newton Wednesday, Branstad said he was unaware of Hogg’s request but noted it points up his concern that Iowa law makes personnel items confidential that cannot be disclosed. He said that’s why he is asking the Legislature to change the law to allow more disclosure and hoped Hogg would work with his administration to accomplish that “and not just play politics.”

Branstad said state government has “a few bad apples” who have been guilty of the offenses he cited but “unfortunately the law doesn’t permit us to release that. I think it should be available to the public in the future.”

During his weekly news conference, Branstad called on state lawmakers to ease what he considered to be overly broad confidentiality protections for state employees who are dismissed or disciplined for inappropriate on-the-job action.

Branstad told reporters it is not enough to prohibit secret employment settlements from taking place as he directed last week in an executive order.

“I want to see us go further and also require the reasons for the dismissal also to be made public,” he said, noting that some workers have been cited for incidents of abusing elderly Iowans and children or for sexual misconduct that have not been publicly disclosed.

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Senator wants information about Branstad’s allegations of state employee abuse