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Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is suing the Des Moines Register, attempting to block the newspaper from accessing private communications between the Governor and her top advisors.
“It is in the public’s interest that governors can receive candid advice from their closest advisors,” said Mason Mauro, spokesperson for Gov. Reynolds. “We are confident that the judicial branch will recognize that governors have a constitutional executive privilege in Iowa, just as they recognized a legislative privilege last year, and have used a deliberative privilege to protect the communications of Iowa Supreme Court justices.”
The Register filed an open records request back in February, asking for emails to and from several of the Governor's top advisors.
A month later, Reynolds and her office turned over more than 800 documents, but withheld four documents containing "candid private advice and counsel", citing executive privilege.
According to the lawsuit, the Register said no privilege exists under Iowa law. The lawsuit from the Governor requests an injunction to prevent the release of the four withheld documents.
You can read the full lawsuit HERE.