Raising the Bar on State Government Ethics

The Culver/Judge Plan to “Open Up Iowa”

And Set Higher Standards for All State Officials

As Governor, I will lay down the highest ethical standards for my Cabinet Secretaries, state government Board and Commission appointees, immediate staff, and other political appointees. First, individuals who get state dollars and rip-off Iowa taxpayers will be punished. Period. I will work to pass a law that allows the state to seek punitive damages from individuals who receive state dollars and commit fraud to increase their compensation. This law will have teeth and will be enforced under my Administration. Second, I will strengthen existing ethical requirements and protections for my political appointees and all Iowa state government employees. Third, I will make it much easier for an average Iowa citizen to get access to information about who is lobbying whom in Des Moines. My Plan to raise the bar on state government ethics will do the following:

I. Set Higher Standards for State Government Officials

• Seek Punitive Damages from Individuals Who Get State Dollars and Rip Off Iowa Taxpayers. As Governor, I will work to pass a law that will allow the state to seek punitive damages from anyone who receives state a state salary or state contract and commits fraud to increase their compensation. Working in public service is an honor and a privilege, not a way to get rich.
  
  
• Mandatory Ethics Training for All Appointees and Elected Officials. As Governor, I will immediately revive the Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Iowa and require that the Institute develop an Ethics Education Seminar for all political appointees, all members of state boards and commissions, and all elected officials. I will require all of these politically appointed state officials to complete an Ethics Education Seminar as soon as possible. I will also require all active senior management officials in Iowa state government to complete the Ethics Education Seminar within a year.
  
  
• Reducing Conflicts of Interest. Require each appointee to sign a Code of Conduct that includes express prohibitions on conflicts of interest and nepotism, when they take their oath of office. In those instances where there is a potential for even the appearance of a conflict of interest, I will require my appointees to identify any potential conflicts publicly and to recuse themselves from making or having an impact on decisions, whether they be hiring a relative or friend to do state work, awarding a contract to an industry acquaintance, or issuing regulations or administrative orders that may specifically benefit someone they know.
  
  
• Closing the Legislative Revolving Door Even Tighter. Currently, for two years after leaving office, an Iowa State government appointee cannot represent anyone before the government agency at which the former public officer served. In addition, Iowa has a permanent ban on former officials representing anyone in dealings with the state government on a matter in which the former public official participated personally and substantially while they were public officials. I will continue these prohibitions but extend them even further. If you work for a Culver administration you won’t be a lobbyist on any issue for any client for two years when you head back to the private sector. The only way to avoid the revolving door and the appearance of influence is to just shut that revolving door even tighter.
  
  
• Create Whistleblower Protections. State employees who come forward with information about possible fraud or abuse should be afforded special protections and not fear losing their job. Whistleblowers provide a valuable public service and save taxpayer dollars at the same time. We should do everything we can to provide additional specific protections for employees who uncover waste and abuse in state government. My administration will expand existing protections and increase rewards for whistleblowers.

II. Making Government Records More Transparent and Open at www.OpenUpIowa.gov

According to the independent Center for Public Integrity, Iowa gets an “F” for the amount of information made available to the public on the spending of lobbyists in our state capital. According to the Center, 40 states do a better job than Iowa. Under a Culver administration, we will not tolerate this poor performance, and I promise to “Open Up Iowa” to shine a bright light on state government for all Iowans to see.

As Secretary of State my office used web based systems to vastly expand the number of state forms, applications and other information available to small businesses and the public. In a similar manner, as Governor, I will require that more information on lobbyists is made available on the web about lobbyists and their interactions with state officials. In my first 100 days, I will work to launch www.openupiowa.gov to the public so Iowans can look closely at who is representing them on boards and commissions and who is lobbying who. The additional disclosure that I will require will include:

• List All Iowa Boards and Commissions and Disclose Budgets and Compensation. Iowans deserve to have one website that lists all boards and commissions that receive Iowa tax dollars. Boards and commissions under my Administration will be required to post their annual budgets online. Additionally, under a Culver Administration, any board member or executive-level staffer will be required to disclose their compensation on www.openupiowa.gov through an online database revealing specific salary and job requirement information.
  
  
• Require Governor’s Office and Cabinet Officials to Expand Their Disclosure of Information. Iowans deserve to know more about not just those attempting to influence government decisions, but also about those who make those decisions or spend public money. As Governor, I will work for new disclosure laws including:
  
  
  • Requiring more information to be disclosed, including but not limited to salaries, information on specific investments, property ownership, spousal income, loans and an estimation of net worth.
    
    
  • Requiring all political appointees, not just those confirmed by the Legislature, to file annual conflict of interest and financial disclosures.
    
    
  • Requiring any state employees who sign off on or administer state contracts valued at more than $100,000 to file an annual financial disclosure reports.
    
    
• Post all Lobbyist Disclosures Online in an Easily Searchable Database. One of the reasons that the Center for Public Integrity gave Iowa an “F” is that public information on lobbyists in Iowa is not easy to use or access. By requiring lobbyists to disclose more information and submit that information electronically, the public ought to be able to access and search an electronic database that posts all of the lobbyist disclosures. As governor, I will make sure that this information is provided to taxpayers in an easy-to-access, easy-to-search format.
  
  
• Enforces Penalties for Late Filing of Spending Reports, Disclosures, and Other Ethics Requirements. In addition, the names and employing organization of delinquent campaign finance, lobbying and ethics form filers should be posted on Iowa state government’s website.

III. The Culver Rule on Gifts – Just Say “No Thanks”

Although Iowa already has good legislation in place that limits the types of gifts that public officials can accept from lobbyists and state contractors, I want to do more. Under my Administration, all Culver appointees will be banned from receiving any gift of any kind. Period.