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IowaPolitics.com: Ethics director takes blame in Branstad campaign's illegal vehicle purchases
7/29/2010

By Lynn Campbell
IowaPolitics.com

The executive director and legal counsel of the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board is taking the blame for former Gov. Terry Branstad's campaign violating an Iowa campaign finance law that prohibits campaigns from purchasing vehicles. Branstad's campaign purchased two of them this year.

Charlie Smithson told IowaPolitics.com today that he incorrectly advised the Branstad campaign that purchasing vehicles was OK. "Yes, I missed the distinction between 'lease' and 'purchase' in the law," Smithson said. "Branstad checked with me first and it was my fault. The campaign is going to sell the vehicles and lease them as is required under the law."

The campaign for Gov. Chet Culver brought the issue to light Thursday. According to the latest campaign finance report filed by the Branstad campaign on July 19, the campaign purchased a Winnebago Itasca RV on Jan. 15 and a 2005 Pontiac Montana Minivan on July 1, even though a 1991 law signed by Branstad says campaign funds may not be used for the purchase of a motor vehicle.

The Culver campaign said the Legislature enacted this law after two incidents the Branstad campaign had with campaign-purchased vans in 1990.

"The Branstad campaign should be sanctioned for violating the law," Culver campaign manager Donn Stanley said Thursday. "Further, it should be required to sell these vehicles it was prohibited from buying in the first place. This is a continuation of a pattern of the Branstad operation believing they are above the law. Whether it is cooking the books on the state budget, conducting improper activities in the governor's office or violating an ethics law that Branstad himself signed, it all adds up to a disrespect for the law and the people of Iowa."

Branstad 2010 campaign manager Jeff Boeyink responded Thursday: "Today it has come to our attention that campaigns are not allowed to own campaign vehicles, but are allowed to lease such vehicles for campaign purposes. As such, the campaign will make the necessary arrangements to comply with state law so these vehicles can continue to be used by the campaign.”

See Branstad's campaign expenditure report:
http://tinyurl.com/2ummxy5

See Culver campaign press release:
http://www.iowapolitics.com/index.iml?Article=204842




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