WATCH: Rob Sand leads town halls in singing ‘America the Beautiful’

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is fighting to keep her emails secret, and it could change government transparency in Iowa forever. When asked if Lutheran Family Services was a “money laundering operation,” Reynolds couldn’t give a straight answer – now she’s suing the Des Moines Register to hide the emails that prepared her to to respond.

This isn’t just about four emails. It’s about whether Iowa governors can claim “executive privilege” that doesn’t exist in state law.

On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith, Amie Rivers, and Avery Staker break down Reynolds’ disastrous Washington testimony, why she’s fighting so hard to keep emails hidden, and what this lawsuit means for government accountability in Iowa.

Toss some bags at city-school elections this fall… Iowa’s response to Kirk’s assassination… And what about Gov. Kim Reynolds’ emails?!

Cornhole Champions is a weekly podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line. It’s produced by me and edited by Rebecca Steinberg. Our music is by Avery Mossman and show art by Desirée Tapia. We are a proud member of the Iowa Writers Collaborative.

*SHOW RUNDOWN:*
00:00 Kim Reynolds vs Des Moines Register: The Email Fight
01:30 Iowa Doge Initiative Leads to Washington Disaster
02:30 Reynolds Can’t Deny “Money Laundering” Claims on Camera
04:30 What Executive Privilege Actually Means (Spoiler: Not Much in Iowa)
06:00 Legal Precedent at Stake: Future of Government Transparency
07:00 What Could Be So Bad She’s Fighting This Hard?
08:30 Government Office Gossip vs. Media Prep: What’s Really Hidden?
09:30 Democracy Requires Sunshine, Not Shadows

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