Iowa Attorney General’s program that helps crime victims draws scrutiny

DES MOINES - The chairman of the House Government Oversight Committee said this week his panel planned to open a probe next month looking into the administrative practices of a division of Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller's office that awards grant money to help crime victims.

Committee leader Rep. Kevin Koester, R-Ankeny, said the House panel has slated a Sept. 8 meeting to question staff members. Specifically, he said, the investigation will focus on administrative practices of the Crime Victim Assistance Division and grants that are awarded to help victims of violent crimes.

'Our mission is twofold: Are taxpayers' dollars being spent wisely and is that money getting to victims in need?” Koester said in a news release announcing the committee hearing.

Victim assistance grants are designed to provide services to victims locally. Koester said the committee's goal is to determine whether taxpayer money has been misspent or improperly documented.

Geoff Greenwood, spokesman for Miller's office, said the staff at the Attorney General's Office looks forward to discussing crime victim assistance. He said the agency's program has been recognized as a national model.

'We're confident that, overall, Iowa's crime victim assistance grants are helping Iowans who have been victimized by crime,” Greenwood said in a statement.