Des Moines, Iowa — (RI) — Former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad is scheduled to testify next week at a trial in Des Moines.
Branstad and two of his aides are accused of pressuring Chris Godfrey, the state’s Workers Compensation Commission, to resign eight years ago because he’s gay. Roxanne Conlin, Godfrey’s attorney, says after that, Godfrey’s salary was cut by about a third.
Conlin delivered opening arguments in the trial earlier this week. Attorney Frank Harty, who’s representing the state AND Branstad in the trial, said Branstad was unaware Godfrey was gay and asked Godfrey to step down because of complaints about Godfrey’s decisions on workers comp cases.
Godfrey filed a discrimination lawsuit against the state in 2012. In 2014, Godfrey left state government to become the chief judge of the FEDERAL board that decides employee compensation appeals. He still serves in that role today. The State of Iowa has paid more than a million dollars paying the private attorneys who’s worked on the case, defend Branstad and his aides, over the past seven years.
