Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.
The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.
The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
Huck PAC, the political action committee of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, failed to file proper disclosure forms with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board (IECDB) after it donated $2,500 to the gubernatorial campaign of Bob Vander Plaats, the board’s executive director said Tuesday.
Charlie Smithson, executive director of the IECDB, said his staff has informed him that Huck PAC did not file the Verified Statement of Registration (VSR) with his office within 15 days of making the $2,500 contribution to Team Vander Plaats. Filing a VSR is required if an out-of-state or federal committee makes a contribution in excess of $50 to an Iowa committee.
“Notice was sent to the PAC today concerning the alleged failure to file,” Smithson said. “Pursuant to Ethics Board rule 351-4.59(6) the PAC will be assessed a $25 fine. If the report is not filed within the next 10 days additional sanctions may be imposed.”
Those sanctions could include a letter of reprimand, an additional fine of up to $2,000 or a referral for criminal prosecution, although Smithson said these types of situations rarely escalate to this level of punishment.
The last disclosure form filed by Huck PAC with the IECDB was in July 2008.
A spokesman for Huck PAC did not respond to a request for comment by the Iowa Independent.
UPDATE at 4:30 p.m. — David John, deputy director for Huck PAC, has confirmed that the disclosure violation was the result of a “small oversight by our accounting firm, which has since been corrected.” The form has now been turned in, John said.
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