Des Moines Register
08-09-06
GOP sees hole in CEITC fallout
The salary scandal might work against Democrats in coming central Iowa
elections
By JASON CLAYWORTH
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
The CIETC salary scandal has jeopardized Democrats' political stronghold in
Polk County, and the first evidence could come as soon as the November
elections, a political observer said Tuesday.
"Anytime there's a political scandal such as CIETC, it does open opportunities for
opponents," said Dianne Bystrom, director of the Carrie Chapman Catt
Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State University.
Some highly ranked Democrats have already tried to distance themselves from
the scandal. Chet Culver, the party's nominee for governor, issued a news
release Monday that said he was "the first elected official" to call for Des Moines
City Councilman and former CIETC board Chairman Archie Brooks to give up his
elected job.
Brooks, a Democrat, stepped down Monday from the council after more than 27
years as an elected official, following months of controversy over his role at the
Central Iowa Employment and Training Consortium.
A March 31 state audit showed that Brooks approved hundreds of thousands of
dollars in bonuses to CIETC's top three executives over 2years. Local, state and
federal law enforcement officials have launched investigations, and more than
8,000 people signed petitions that called for Brooks and fellow Councilman Tom
Vlassis, a former CIETC board member, to resign from elected office.
When the scandal broke, most of CIETC's 15 directors and its top employees
were registered Democrats.
Polk County Republican leaders have taken the offensive and lined up
candidates for Polk County recorder and for the Iowa House seat eyed by
Democrat and Des Moines school board member Ako Abdul-Samad.
City Council races are, technically, nonpartisan. Nonetheless, Polk County
Republican Party Chairman Ted Sporer said the GOP will have a "reformed
candidate who doesn't come from the ranks of the Democratic machine" to fill
Brooks' empty seat. Sporer also believes that future campaigns for local seats
will target city and county leaders who failed to act quickly on CIETC.
"This is just the tip of the iceberg," he said. "Throwing Archie on the track is a
way to save" Abdul-Samad and Polk County Supervisor John Mauro, both former
CIETC board members.
Former county Supervisor Gene Phillips has said he will consider a run against
Mauro in November as an independent. Sporer said Tuesday that at least two
other Republican challengers have talked to him about getting in the race.
Gordon Fischer, a Democratic activist and former state party chairman, said
Tuesday that Brooks "may have been a Democrat, but in name only" and was
not heavily involved in party activities.
Fischer acknowledged that CIETC might be a campaign issue for Republicans,
but he insisted it is a not an issue of concern for voters.
"This is over as a political issue," Fischer said. "The folks responsible for this
debacle are gone."
Eight elected officials who were involved in the scandal as board members are
still in office. In addition to Mauro, Vlassis and Abdul-Samad; Dave Reed, a
Boone County supervisor; Mark Hanson, a Dallas County supervisor; Howard
Pothoven, a Marion County supervisor; Bob Sandy, a Warren County supervisor;
and Max Worthington, a Jasper County supervisor, have not stepped down from
their elected posts. Hanson, Pothoven and Sandy are Republicans.
Polk County Democratic Party Chairman Tom Henderson said he doesn't believe
the scandal will hurt other Democrats, particularly after Brooks' resignation.
"The primary force on CIETC was Archie Brooks, and I think most voters know
that," Henderson said.
Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and Polk County Attorney John Sarcone, both
Democrats, issued a statement less than 45 minutes after Brooks' resignation
saying they notified him that they planned to go to court to remove him for
"maladministration" if he did not step down.
Sarcone on Tuesday defended assertions from Sporer and others that he tried to
cover himself from political fallout.
"I don't take people's lives and play politics with them," he said.
Bystrom said the political damage to Democrats from CIETC is likely to be local,
but she called Culver's press release "a wise move" nonetheless.
"Right now, I don't think it will reach" the governor's race, she said. "But why not
insulate yourself from it?"