Iowa Senate panel seeks investigator for ethics complaint against senator

The Iowa Senate Ethics Committee voted Wednesday to request that a special investigator be installed to determine whether a state senator violated rules barring senators from being paid directly or indirectly by a political campaign.

Committee members voted 4-2 to ask the chief justice of the Iowa Supreme Court to designate an investigator to probe allegations that Sen. Kent Sorenson, R-Milo, received payments while he worked for Minnesota GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann's campaign for president in Iowa. They expected a former Supreme Court justice would be enlisted to conduct the investigation.

Sorenson has repeatedly denied the allegations made by Andy Parrish, Bachmann's former chief of staff, in a sworn affidavit that Sorenson asked to be “paid for his efforts” when he was recruited to be Bachmann's Iowa campaign chairman. That would be a violation of ethics rules in the Iowa Senate.

Sorenson -– who did not attend Wednesday's Senate Ethics Committee meeting -- issued a statement Wednesday saying he has provided “a full defense and is cooperating fully” with the committee, including supplying affidavits from individuals “who attest to his innocence” regarding allegations brought against him.

“I have done everything I can to prove my innocence and address the allegations initiated by politicos who have an axe to grind. This has become a witch-hunt and it is time to put it to rest,” Sorenson said in his statement.

However, committee members expressed concern that they have been presented with conflicting information that warrants further review to avoid the appearance of a cover-up that would cast a cloud over the Senate, in a political process where Iowa has the lead-off position in the presidential selection process.

“What I want to do is keep Iowa the cleanest state we can in politics,” said committee chairman Sen. Wally Horn, D-Cedar Rapids. “To be first in the nation, we've got to take a case like this and investigate it. We can't let it happen.”

Sen. Sandra Greiner, R-Keota, who joined Horn and Democratic Sens. Dick Dearden of Des Moines and Joe Seng of Davenport, in seeking to investigate the allegations further, said “I have no problem asking to move ahead with an investigation.” She added she hoped it would exonerate Sorenson so the committee could dismiss the complaint against him.

Sorenson provided an affidavit from an attorney who audited his bank statements and concluded there was no evidence of the alleged payments, but Greiner said the information was incomplete and expressed surprise that Sorenson didn't submit his income tax statements and other documentation to bolster his case.

Republican committee members Sens. Jack Whitver of Ankeny and Jerry Behn of Boone opposed proceeding to an investigation out of concern it would set a precedent that would cause politically motivated allegations to be brought against senators in the future.

“We're in a gray area,” said Whitver. “I'm concerned we're setting a dangerously low bar.”

But Dearden said any future complaints would have to be judged on their own merits and, in this case, “these are prominent Republicans making these assertions.”

Mike Marshall, secretary of the Iowa Senate, called Wednesday's action “a very preliminary point in the process” and the complaint “still could ultimately be dismissed after the investigation.” Possible sanctions for proven violations of Iowa Senate rules could include reprimand, censure or expulsion. Marshall noted there has not been a similar complaint situation arise in the 15 legislative sessions he has been Senate secretary.