New campaign spending laws felt in judicial retention vote

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision last January legalizing secret corporate and union contributions to political campaigns is being felt in the vote to retain three Iowa Supreme Court justices.

Iowa for Freedom, the group launched by unsuccesful Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats to campaign against the retention of three state Supreme Court justices, is acting as the local agent for an out-of-state group that isn't taking donations for Iowans.

Fair Courts for Us, formed to support the judges, is still required to report who's funding its effort under the law, said spokeswoman Jami Buelt.

“We're an independent expenditure committee,” said Buelt. ”We have to file everything we're more transparent because we're not funded by an out-of-state group.”

Judicial retention became an issue after last year's state supreme court decision legalizing marriage for gays and lesbians. The judges up for retention this year, David Baker, Micheal Streit and Chief Justice Marsha Ternus, all joined the unanimous majority on the decision.

Iowa for Freedom is acting as the local agent for the AFA Action, the legislative arm of Mississippi-based non-profit American Family Association. In opinions filed after the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling, the board of the Iowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board cleared the way for AFA Action to spend in Iowa without filing the funding reports required before U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

Iowa for Freedom has filed  its expenditures with the board.

In addition, board reports posted today include $200,000 for television ads urging a “no” vote on retention from the National Organization for Marriage, and another TV ad buy by NOM, for $235,037, on Sept. 13.

Iowa for Freedom's reported expenditures:

10/8:

Chris Dorsey $1,000

Chuck Laudner $5,000

Dave Davidson $1,250

Greg Baker $1,000

Murphy Turner & Assoc. (Austin Tx) $1,374

Tierney Kendall & Company $400

Vicki Crawford $1,250

Murphy Turner & Assoc. $2,216

Barbara Heki $1,250

Bob Vander Plaats $1,811

Harris Media LLC (Kill Devil Hills NC) $4,362

Murphy Turner & Assoc. $1,087

8/31:

Shaw Research (Austin Tx) $24,859

B & G Realty, LLC (Clive) $3,000

Harris Media $4,400

Heuss Printing (Ames) $477

Murphy Turner & Assoc. $5,000

9/10

Vicki Crawford $1,250

Barbara Heki $1,250

Bob Vander Plaats $1,701

Chris Dorsey $1,000

Greg Baker $1,000

Murphy Turner & Associates $6,720

Chuck Laudner $5,000

Tierney Kendall & Company (Coralville) $400

Dave Davidson $1,250

9/30

Schubert Flint Public Affairs (Sacramento) $500

Murphy Turner & Associates $4,668

AT&T $779

Murphy Turner & Associates $2,923

Card Member Service $643

Murphy Turner & Associates $942

Iowans for Fair