Challenger goes on attack in Iowa Attorney general candidate debate

JOHNSTON - Republican challenger Adam Gregg came out swinging Thursday, saying he would do more to represent Iowans, protect farmers and shield consumers from cyber crime than eight-term Democrat Tom Miller has done as Iowa attorney general.

In a joint appearance on Iowa Public Television's 'Iowa Press” show, Gregg, 31, of Johnston, also charged Miller has sided too often with President Barack Obama rather than being an independent voice for Iowans, has improperly solicited campaign contributions from the targets of his investigations, and doesn't use email.

Miller, 70, who was first elected attorney general in 1978, denied Gregg's contentions as 'totally false” and pointed to his accomplishments as a champion for farmers by establishing the nation's first farm division, for consumers protections via numerous settlements and for public safety as the state's chief criminal prosecutor.

'The job as I see it is representing the interest of ordinary people. That's what we've done,” said Miller during the half-hour joint appearance that will air on IPTV stations on Friday evening and noon Sunday.

The GOP challenger said he has traveled to 83 counties since winning his party's nomination in June while Miller has lost touch with Iowans and has acted more like Obama's attorney than Iowa's by siding with the administration in areas of health care, employment and environmental issues.

'It seems like every opportunity he gets, he's siding with the Obama administration,” said Gregg, an attorney who most recently served as Gov. Terry Branstad's legislative liaison.

'It's gotten so bad in fact it seems like he's become Obama's lawyer instead of Iowa's lawyer,” he added. 'If you had a lawyer who refused to meet with you, gave you bad legal advice and sided against your interests, you'd probably fire that lawyer. That's exactly what we've got with the current attorney general.”

Miller shot back that Gregg 'couldn't be more wrong” in his criticism, saying 'I call ‘em as I see ‘em and sometimes I've disagreed with the administration.” He also said no attorney general in America has stood up for farmers like he has and he refuted claims that he had acted inappropriately in raising campaign money.

'I'm my own man. I always do what I think is right and what I think is best,” Miller said.

Gregg said that has not been the case regarding what he considered Miller's ongoing practice of 'leveraging” campaign contributions from targets of his office's investigations, calling it a 'very disturbing trend” that 'creates the perception that justice is for sale in this state and it's a practice that needs to end.”

Miller responded he has taken 'zero” dollars from people being investigated by his office as Gregg has claimed. He added that his Republican opponent's credibility has been harmed by his 'totally baseless” attack and it is one of the reasons why Gregg's campaign has not gotten traction among voters in the 2014 campaign.

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