Through Q1 of 2020, Ernst’s campaign and associated committees have paid over $793,000 to the two firms tied to Iowa Values, a pro-Ernst dark money group
Several FEC and IRS complaints have been filed against Ernst and Iowa Values
A new fundraiser invite obtained by Politico reveals that Senator Joni Ernst continues to pay Holloway Consulting, which provides fundraising services for both Ernst and a dark money group formed with the sole purpose of re-electing Ernst.
In Q1 of 2020 alone, FEC filings show that Ernst’s campaign, leadership PAC, and joint fundraising committees paid over $137,000 to the two firms tied to the “Iowa Values” dark money group (Holloway Consulting and Jamestown Associates). In total, Ernst’s campaign and affiliated committees have given the two groups a total of $793,000 for the 2020 cycle.
“Senator Ernst continues to operate her campaign with no regard for the law or transparency and the evidence is mounting,” said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller. “Iowans are fed up with these shady political schemes that Ernst has been using to stay in power. It’s no wonder Iowans don’t trust her anymore.”
Coordination between dark money groups and political campaigns is against the law, and Ernst has found herself facing several complaints filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for the shady scheme. In December of 2019, after an Associated Press investigation revealed that Ernst was caught illegally working with Iowa Values to boost her re-election campaign, The American Democracy Legal Fund and Campaign for Accountability sent letters urging the FEC to investigate the alleged coordination. In February of this year, ECU filed an IRS complaint stating that Iowa Values falsely registered as a social welfare nonprofit to solely exist to re-elect the Senator instead of promoting any social welfare. ECU filed an FEC complaint against Senator Ernst in May for not reporting the names of staffers on payroll for her re-election campaign, which is required by law and clearly laid out on the FEC website.
A poll of Iowa voters, commissioned by End Citizens United (ECU) and conducted by Public Policy Polling (PPP) in December 2019, showed that after Iowa voters learned about the AP investigation, Ernst lost support and dropped to just 40 percent, while Democrat Theresa Greenfield rose to 45 percent. The poll also found that 53 percent of Iowans believe politicians promote policies to help their corporate special interest donors most of the time.
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