Iowa Senate panel votes to table ethics complaint against senator, dismiss second complaint

An Iowa Senate panel has voted to table one ethics complaint against a state senator pending more information and to dismiss an unrelated complaint against another senator.

The six-member Senate Ethics Committee met Wednesday, taking action on separate complaints against Sen. Mike Bousselot, R-Ankeny, and Sen. Molly Donahue, D-Cedar Rapids.

Ethics Committee tables complaint against senator over alleged carbon pipeline conflict of interest

The first complaint dealt with an alleged conflict of interest related to Bousselot over his decision not to schedule a subcommittee meeting earlier this year to consider a bill related to the use of eminent domain by carbon-capture pipeline companies.

The committee voted unanimously to say that no further action would be taken on the complaint unless further substantiating evidence is produced. There is a three-year statute of limitations during which the committee could take up the complaint again if someone brings forth further evidence of a conflict.

The complaint was filed by Barb Kalbach on behalf of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, a progressive group.

"We allege in this complaint that he broke this trust and confidence with the public because of deep personal, professional and economic ties with Summit Carbon Solutions, a CO2 pipeline company that would profit financially from the proposed projects," Kalbach wrote in the complaint.

Summit Carbon, one of three companies seeking to build carbon capture pipelines across Iowa, is run by Bruce Rastetter, a major Republican donor. Bousselot previously worked as a managing director and head of external relations for Summit Agricultural Group, which is also run by Rastetter and is the parent company of Summit Carbon Solutions.

Former Gov. Terry Branstad is an adviser to Summit Carbon Solutions. Bousselot formerly worked for Branstad as an adviser and later his chief of staff from 2015 to 2017.

In March, the Iowa House passed House File 565, which would require carbon capture pipeline companies to reach voluntary agreements to access 90% of the land on their proposed route before they could ask the state for the ability to use eminent domain.

More: Senate won't curb eminent domain for carbon pipelines; most Iowans say they want limits

Bousselot was assigned to chair a three-member subcommittee on the bill in the Senate but he did not schedule a hearing before a legislative deadline, allowing the bill to die.

Bousselot called the complaint against him baseless, politically motivated and frivolous.

"Six years ago, I worked for Summit Agricultural Group (not Summit Carbon Solutions, which is a separate company and did not exist at that time). More than six years ago, I worked for Gov. Terry Branstad," he wrote in a response to the Senate Ethics Committee. "None of these facts serve as a basis for an ethics complaint under any Iowa law or rule within consideration of the committee."

Sen. Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque, said Bousselot's previous employment for Rastetter and Branstad "certainly raises eyebrows."

"Sen. Bousselot has at the very least exercised questionable judgment, and at worst, engaged in the appearance of unethical conduct," Jochum said during the meeting. "This is one of those times when a senator should have declined to serve as the subcommittee chair of a bill that had a direct financial gain for Summit Solutions."

Jochum said the committee can take further action if additional evidence of a conflict is presented.

"I wanted him to be on call that this is not the end if there’s other substantiating information that comes forth before this committee," she said. "It reflects poorly on all of us."

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement said in a statement that they are continuing to ask for more information about a potential conflict of interest for Bousselot.

"This complaint is still alive, and we have every intention of pursuing it further," Kalbach said in a statement Wednesday. "No senator should be able to stop a bill that 78% of Iowans support because his friends and high-profile Republican donors like Bruce Rastetter stand to make billions of dollars."

Bousselot characterized the committee's vote as a victory in a statement Wednesday.

"This complaint proposes a standard as dangerous as it is ridiculous," he said. "Alleging a violation for not acting on a piece of legislation is absurd in concept, limitless in its application, and impossible to adjudicate. The complaint is as preposterous and partisan as the organization who filed it."

Ethics Committee votes to dismiss complaint against senator over social media posts

In a separate vote Wednesday, the Senate Ethics Committee unanimously dismissed a complaint against Sen. Molly Donahue, D-Cedar Rapids.

"Sen. Donahue continues to use her public and official Senate Facebook page to post untruthful and potentially harmful comments about members, such as myself, who belong to local parent groups," Rebecca Dunk of Marion wrote in the complaint.

In numerous social media posts this year, Donahue has referred to members of the Iowa Moms for Liberty group as "terrorists," "extremists" and a "hate group."

"Make no mistake. Moms for Liberty is a hate group — no different than those who were at the insurrection in DC — they are the same people, same belief systems and same hateful rhetoric," Donahue wrote Feb. 15.

Members of the conservative organization have spoken in favor of legislation this year banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth, restricting which bathrooms transgender students can use at school and removing books from school libraries that they said were pornographic.

Gov. Kim Reynolds joined Moms for Liberty for an event in February where she spoke against what she called "indoctrination" in the public school system.

In a written response to the Ethics Committee, Donahue said the complaint against her is baseless "and is only intended to harm my reputation."

"There is nothing in this complaint that serves as a basis for an ethics violation, under any Iowa law, or rule within the consideration of this committee," she wrote.

Sen. Mark Costello, R-Imogene, called Donahue's comments "pretty unsettling" but nonetheless moved to dismiss the complaint against her.

"I think she needs to watch what she posts," he said. "And it probably would be good advice for her just to get off of social media."

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Senate rebuffs ethics complaints on carbon pipelines, social media