Iowa Supreme Court revives open record lawsuit against State Auditor [Video]

DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) – The Iowa Supreme Court has revived a lawsuit claiming Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand’s office violated the state’s Open Records Law.

The conservative Kirkwood Institute filed the lawsuit in 2021 after the State Auditor denied its request for 10 emails with two reporters regarding the Auditor’s investigation into Governor Kim Reynolds appearance in a PSA for COVID-19 that Sand claimed was improper. Sand’s office ruled the 10 emails were exempt from open records because 9 were part of an audit and one as part of an exemption to protect private citizens making tips to government agencies.

A district court had dismissed the lawsuit after reviewing the emails determining Sand had standing to withhold the emails.

But the Iowa Supreme Court ordered the district court to revisit that issue. It questioned why emails with reporters would be exempt as part of an audit or investigation …