Iowa’s New Lt. Governor Caught Up in Ethics Scandal With Local Sheriff

It's only been a few weeks since Governor Reynolds asked State Senator Chris Cournoyer to be the Lieutenant Governor.  I don't even know if they've had time to measure for drapery in the new office.  There's already scandal afoot.

Tim Lane's Ethics Complaint

According to the Des Moines Register, Sheriff Tim Lane has filed an ethics complaint against Chris Cournoyer with the Iowa Senate Ethics Committee. The complaint accuses Cournoyer of several wrongdoings, like harassment, mishandling confidential information, and interfering with the firing of a Scott County sheriff’s employee, Sergeant Josh Wall. According to Lane, Cournoyer shared a confidential investigative report about his wife Jennifer McAndre without permission. He also claims that Cournoyer used that information to push her own political agenda.

Iowa Senate Ethics Committee’s Rejection

Cournoyer’s Role in Legislation

During the 2024 legislative session, Cournoyer pushed a bill (Senate File 2277) that would shake up investigations involving sheriff’s office employees who happen to be related to the sheriff.

Lane smells something fishy here, suspecting that this bill might have been part of a bigger plot between Cournoyer and Wall to go after him and his wife. After all, the bill seemed to be targeting a very personal issue within Lane’s own office. Coincidence? Lane doesn’t think so.

If I'm being 100% honest, I've been wanting to add that something smells fishy, and this story gave me that opportunity, so thanks to the Sheriff and Lieutenant Governor.

Alleged Retaliation and Whistleblower Lawsuit

Meanwhile, there's another lawsuit brewing. Tara Chase, a former employee at the Scott County Sheriff's Office, is suing, claiming she was fired for blowing the whistle on potential misconduct involving Lane’s wife and the department.

According to Chase, her termination was nothing more than retaliation for speaking up. And the drama isn’t over yet—the lawsuit is still ongoing, with a trial scheduled for 2025. Guess we’ll see how this one plays out!

Ongoing Investigations

Now, the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy is getting involved, subpoenaing records connected to Wall’s secret investigation into Lane’s wife. They’re digging into whether Wall’s actions were above board, and if he crossed the line, his police certification could be on the chopping block. It’s starting to look like his secretive little investigation could come back to bite him.

Here’s the Bottom Line

There’s a messy legal battle unfolding, full of alleged misconduct, political games, and some serious retaliation. It’s all about power plays, control, and whether confidential information was mishandled or used as a weapon. And don’t forget the shady interference in disciplinary actions at the sheriff’s office.

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But there’s more – the political angle here is hard to ignore. Cournoyer, now the lieutenant governor, might be using her position to go after Lane, even getting cozy with his political rivals. Talk about a twist of political revenge!

And, then there’s the whole whistleblower issue – employees like Tara Chase are putting their necks on the line, only to get slammed for speaking up. It’s a clear reminder that standing up to misconduct can get you targeted, and this case is shining a big spotlight on how messy retaliation can get.