Iowa Legislators Take Questionable Gambling PAC Money



A DFIA Exclusive Report by Darrell Lewis


CALL TO ACTION


I want
to encourage everyone to check out what's going on in your area with
special interest money. Here's the link to see the Iowa campaign
reports that were filed earlier this week.



http://www.state.ia.us/government/iecdb/viewreports/index.htm



Allow me to give an example of something interesting I found.



First,
Iowa law prohibits PACS from giving money to Iowa Legislators while the
Iowa Legislature is in session. Thurman Gaskill (Republican, Senate
District 6) received a $500 contribution from the Sac and Fox Tribe PAC
of Tama on Friday, Jan. 9. The legislature convened on Monday, Jan.
12.  Legal – yes, but barely. What makes it even more interesting
is that on the campaign report filed by Gaskill, the date originally
written is overwritten by Jan. 9, with the original date not
determinable.



Second,
PACS, too, must have filed their reports by earlier this week. The Sac
and Fox Tribe PAC of Tama is one of the handful of PACS in Iowa who
have failed to file a report. Tom Jochum is the representative of this
PAC.



Now, you
may not know where Senate District 6 is located. It is way up north
along the Minnesota border. One has to wonder why a Republican
legislator is taking $500 from a gambling special interest from a
distant Iowa location.



Because
the Sac and Fox Tribe PAC has not filed the report required by law it
is impossible to verify what irregularities might exist with them,
other then checking each incumbent's campaign report to determine who
the Sac and Fox Tribe PAC is attempting to influence.



It truly
was a shame that gambling took up so much of the Iowa legislative
session, particularly when one considers the issues facing education in
Iowa. It's even more distressing to seeing the pay-offs to these
members of the legislature.



Let us be a unified voice and demand all candidates return any contributions from the Sac and Fox Tribe PAC!!!



Find your legislator here.



Review your legislator's campaign financial report here.