Iowa ethics board eyes Alcoholic Beverages Division trailer

Three former employees of Iowa's Alcoholic Beverages Division are under investigation by the state's Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board for allegedly using a $7,800, state-purchased Coachmen trailer as a residence.

It's just the latest piece of trouble for the scandal-plagued agency. In another development, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said his office would review allegations that the division's former administrator, Lynn Walding, shredded boxes of documents and erased data on his state-issued computer before leaving office.

A June 30 audit of the division concluded it misspent taxpayer money and made purchases without using competitive bidding.

"What we're doing is thoroughly looking at this, the audit and now questions concerning the shredding, and seeing if there's any wrongdoing that requires further action," Miller said.

Several calls to Walding's home telephone by The Associated Press rang unanswered Friday.

The ethics board investigation centers around apparent improper use of the trailer by three former employees of the division. State law generally prohibits employees from using public property for private purposes, and penalties can range from a letter of reprimand to a fine of up to $2,000 as well as reimbursement orders.

A memo from the state Department of Management, which earlier investigated the division, said at least one of its drivers used the trailer as his official place of residence.

Tonya Dusold, a spokeswoman for the division, said the trailer was used partly as an emergency shelter for employees to stay in bad weather or as a place where they could stay to avoid driving home between shifts. She said it was never used as a permanent residence.

Current leaders of the division "don't necessarily think" temporary employee lodging "was a valid use or reason enough for us to actually have" the trailer, Dusold said.