Des Moines, Iowa — The head of a conservative law firm is asking the Iowa Supreme Court to find that State Auditor Rob Sand, a Democrat, has violated the state’s public records law.
Alan Ostergren, chief counsel of the Kirkwood Institute, asked the auditor for emails related to Sand’s since-discredited claim that the governor improperly used federal COVID-19 funds for a public service announcement. Ostergren appeared before the Iowa Supreme Court on Thursday.
A district court judge dismissed the case last year, saying the emails could be kept confidential because they’re part of an audit or examination. Iowa Supreme Court Justice Dana Oxley says state law protects information received in an audit.
Ostergren has been seeking an email chain that includes comments from State Auditor Sand, an Associated Press reporter, and a blogger. Sand has said he denied the request because it would chip away at his ability to protect whistleblowers and save taxpayers money.
