Iowa Republicans challenge 1st District Democratic candidates on Clinton’s emails

CEDAR RAPIDS - Iowa Republicans are challenging three Democrats running for Congress in Iowa's 1st District to 'end their silence” and address Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while she was secretary of state.

Referring to numerous polls showing that voters give Clinton low marks for honesty and trustworthiness, Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said it's important for 1st Congressional District voters to know whether Democrats Monica Vernon of Cedar Rapids, Pat Murphy of Dubuque and Gary Kroeger of Cedar Falls 'stand for transparency and honesty or if they stand with Hillary Clinton and politics as usual.”

A recent Quinnipiac University National Poll found that a third of voters say the most important quality they are looking for in a presidential candidate is honesty and trustworthiness. However, almost 60 percent said Clinton lacks those traits.

Clinton explained her use of a private email server this way in a recent interview with ABC News:

'As I said, it was allowed and there was no hiding it. It was totally above board. Everybody in the government I communicated with - and that was a lot of people - knew I was using a personal email. I want people to know that I am trying to be as transparent as possible so that, you know, legitimate questions can and will be answered.”

Kaufmann thinks it's a legitimate question for the voters in the 20-county northeast Iowa district to ask the Democratic congressional candidates if they accept Clinton's actions, 'which skirted our laws and compromised national security?”

Kaufmann thinks it's fair for the voters in the 20-county northeast Iowa district to ask the Democratic congressional candidates if they accept Clinton's actions.

'A lot of our candidates, especially congressional candidates, are getting asked about every comment Donald Trump makes,” Kaufmann said. 'So I don't think it's out of the norm to ask Democratic candidates” about their party's presumptive nominee.

Kroeger called it a 'gotcha” question, 'but it is an inevitable gotcha that can be addressed.”

The advertising executive and former 'Saturday Night Live” cast member has been asked by voters about Clinton's email. Voters want to know the truth about the email, but that won't be found by 'the repeating of memes and rhetoric with misinformation designed to destroy,” Kroeger said.

The Vernon and Murphy campaigns did not respond immediately to requests for comment on Kaufmann's challenge.

The 1st District Democratic challenger to Republican Rep. Rod Blum of Dubuque will be determined in a June primary election.