WEBVTT es. Iowa taxpayers are now on the hook for almost a million dollars in legal bills in lawsuit filed by a former state worker. Chris Godfrey - a former StateWorkers Compensation Boardcommissioner - says GovernorBranstad demoted him and cut hispay - because he is gay. OTodd Magel is looking into the massive cost of this legal battle - between Godfreyand the state.It's a cost all iowa taxpayersare paying. So we asked the question, why is this case whichbegan in 2011 still churning in the court system. And why itmight cost millions more in tax dollars if it ever goes totrial.< It was obviously difficultduring that period, it wasdifficult with my family> Chris Godfrey is making history in Iowa. In a recent landmark decision, the Iowa Supreme courtsays he can sue former Governor Branstad and current governor Kim Reynolds along with other state leaders after they cut hispay by 40- thousand dollars a year almost six years agGodfrey says Brantstad wanted him out as an appointed workers compensation commissioner,because he godfrey is gay.< I think it's pretty clear to me that I was not thetype of person he wanted. He didnot want a successful personlike me who was open and honest about my sexual orientation > Branstad has said he never knew Godfrey was gay. Roxanne Conlin is Godfrey's attorney.<did the governor confess? No. Laughs ...that doesn't usually happen. At leastin my experience. The gov didn't say yes I fired himbecause he was gay> Godfrey isspeaking out now from his new home in Washington DC.< The governor said quite explicitly that he did it because I was not a team membeof the branstad team> < And the fact that he was the only openly gayperson in the governor'scabinet, we think that says volumes about the reason fthis unheard of step to be takenagainst hiGodfrey worked here in the Iowa workers compensation office.Just steps away from theGovernors office across the street. Godfrey was appointed byFormer Governor Chet Culver to asix year term. After hisre-election in 2010 branstadasked godfrey to resign, andwhen he refused he cutGodfrey's pay from 112000 a yearto 73000 a year. Godfrey decidsue for discrimination. <You cant intimidate judges, you can'textort judges. As a judge I had to be ethical and not succumb those types of acts>< It would be asthough the governor decided hewanted different justices on thesupreme court and just firedthem all or decreased their salaries to the bottom of the range> Attorney George Lamarcais defending the state in the case. We wanted to ask him aboutthe long legal battle. He was not able to appear on camera butdid offer this statement: " ... with Mr. Godfrey's lawsuitpending,need to present his case to the court and not to the media."However in 2012 LaMarca did speak to KCCI.03:13 <the notion that the governor and six other persons got together and decided tdiscriminant against him basedon his orientation is frivolouon its face it simply didn'thappen.> But Lamarca's defensedoesn't come cheap. We asked theIowa treasure for a copy of his bills dating back 5 years. Some months his fee is just 94 dollars. Others months is staggering 120- thousanddollars.. And so far adds up to 916-thousand dollars. So the obvious question is, why is the state spending your taxdollars... A million dollars fLarmarka, potentially another a million dollars for Conl...when it could have just paid Godfrey the 40 thousand dollars a year it cut from his pay. < I have absolutely no idea why the state of Iowa and its executive officeproceed with a position that is absolutely ludicrous , which is absolutely ridiculous. And thedo on and on and on and on andspend more and more and more taxpayer dollars , It's just ridiculous> Another obvious question. Why is Governor Reynolstill fighting the Godfrey case.Especially since Governor Branstad is now out of office.So we asked her an interview butshe declined. We then asked Reynolds at a news conference.<I have no comment on that as long as it's in litigation> Itappears The Governor stillthinks it's worth fighting for. And so does Godrey's attorney,Roxanne Conlin. < When anybody'srights are trampled on, all ofour rights are in danger> With the latest Iowa supremecourt rulings out of the way in the Godfrey case, his attorneyhopes to go to trial as soon as possible, though that could takemonths or more. Godfrey says he may be willing to settle out ocourt. The states attorney isn'tcommenting yet on a possiblesettlement.
You're paying $1M legal battle between state, former worker
Updated: 9:59 PM CDT Jul 26, 2017
The battle between a former state employee, who is gay, and the governor’s office that wanted him to quit is close to reaching $1 million in legal bills, all of which is being footed by Iowa taxpayers. The Iowa Supreme Court ruled last month that former Iowa Workers’ Compensation Commissioner Chris Godfrey can seek damages for alleged political retaliation he faced under former Gov. Terry Branstad -- a decision that will likely make it easier for residents to sue government officials who violate their rights. The ruling marks the first time the court has allowed citizens to file lawsuits seeking monetary damages against government officials for alleged violations of rights protected under the Iowa Constitution. The case had been closely watched by government agencies at all levels in Iowa that had urged the court not to open the door to such litigation. After Branstad’s election as governor in 2010, he asked Godfrey, who was appointed by Democratic Gov. Chet Culver the year prior, to resign so that he could appoint his own commissioner. Godfrey refused to step down because the job, he said, was supposed to be insulated from politics and his term didn’t expire until 2015. “I think it’s pretty clear to me that I was not the type of person he wanted,” Godfrey told KCCI from his Washington, D.C., home. “He did not want a successful person like me, who was open and honest about my sexual orientation.” Branstad has denied the claims, but he responded by cutting Godfrey’s paycheck from $112,000 to $73,000 -- the lowest allowed for that position. Branstad, along with then-Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and other aides, defended the governor’s decision by depicting Godfrey as a poor commissioner who was hurting businesses. “The fact that he was the only openly gay person in the governor’s cabinet, we think that says volumes about the reason for this unheard of step to be taken against him,” said Roxanne Conlin, Godfrey’s attorney. Godfrey, now chief judge of the board that decides federal workers’ compensation disputes in Washington, said the statements were defamatory and that he was treated more harshly than other appointees because of his sexual orientation. “It was obviously difficult during that period. It was difficult with my family,” he said. Branstad, now the U.S. ambassador to China, said he sought to oust Godfrey after hearing complaints about rulings from business leaders and that he had the power to cut Godfrey’s pay. The former governor also said he was unaware that Godfrey is gay. “It would be as though the governor decided he wanted different justices on the Supreme Court and just fired them all or decreased their salaries to the bottom of the range,” Conlin said. “The governor said quite explicitly that he did it because I was not a team member of the Branstad team,” Godfrey said. Dissenting Justice Edward Mansfield said the ruling will have "far-reaching effects," potentially prompting scores of lawsuits from current and former inmates alleging they were wrongly incarcerated. But he said it may have little impact on Godfrey's case if Branstad can show that he and his staff had legal reasons for demanding Godfrey's resignation, cutting his pay and criticizing his performance. “You can’t intimidate judges. You can’t extort judges,” Godfrey said. “As a judge, I had to be ethical and not succumb to those types of acts.” Attorney George LaMarca is defending the state in the case and said after the landmark ruling, “We are pleased the Supreme Court left intact the defendants’ affirmative defenses, which we believe will dispose of Mr. Godfrey’s case.” He declined to appear on-camera Wednesday but offered a brief statement: “With Mr. Godfrey’s lawsuit pending, I need to present his case to the court and not to the media. LaMarca told KCCI in 2012, however, that the “notion that the governor and six other persons got together and decided to discriminate against him based on his orientation is frivolous on its face. It simply didn’t happen.” Reynolds is continuing the legal battle, and LaMarca’s defense doesn’t come cheap: A copy of his bills from the Iowa treasurer dating back five years shows his fees range from $94 a month to a staggering $120,000 a month. So far, that adds up to $916,000. The astounding figure leaves taxpayers wondering why the state is spending nearly $1 million to pay for its attorney fees -- and potentially another $1 million for Conlin -- as opposed to paying Godrey the $40,000 a year cut from his pay. “I have absolutely no idea why the state of Iowa and its executive officers proceed with a position that is absolutely ludicrous,” said Conlin. “They spend more and more taxpayer dollars; it’s just ridiculous.” When asked at a news conference about the matter, Reynolds declined to comment “as long as it’s in litigation.” “When anybody’s rights are trampled on, all of our rights are in danger,” Conlin said. Godfrey’s attorney said she hopes the trial will go to court as soon as possible, though that could take months or more. Godfrey said he may be willing to settle out of court. The state’s attorney isn’t commenting yet on a possible settlement. It is the second Iowa Supreme Court ruling that has gone Godfrey's way since he filed the lawsuit five and a half years ago. In 2014, the court ruled that state officials can be ordered to personally pay damages if they break the law and were acting outside the scope of their employment.
DES MOINES, Iowa — The battle between a former state employee, who is gay, and the governor’s office that wanted him to quit is close to reaching $1 million in legal bills, all of which is being footed by Iowa taxpayers.
The Iowa Supreme Court ruled last month that former Iowa Workers’ Compensation Commissioner Chris Godfrey can seek damages for alleged political retaliation he faced under former Gov. Terry Branstad -- a decision that will likely make it easier for residents to sue government officials who violate their rights.
The ruling marks the first time the court has allowed citizens to file lawsuits seeking monetary damages against government officials for alleged violations of rights protected under the Iowa Constitution. The case had been closely watched by government agencies at all levels in Iowa that had urged the court not to open the door to such litigation.
After Branstad’s election as governor in 2010, he asked Godfrey, who was appointed by Democratic Gov. Chet Culver the year prior, to resign so that he could appoint his own commissioner. Godfrey refused to step down because the job, he said, was supposed to be insulated from politics and his term didn’t expire until 2015.
“I think it’s pretty clear to me that I was not the type of person he wanted,” Godfrey told KCCI from his Washington, D.C., home. “He did not want a successful person like me, who was open and honest about my sexual orientation.”
Branstad has denied the claims, but he responded by cutting Godfrey’s paycheck from $112,000 to $73,000 -- the lowest allowed for that position. Branstad, along with then-Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and other aides, defended the governor’s decision by depicting Godfrey as a poor commissioner who was hurting businesses.
“The fact that he was the only openly gay person in the governor’s cabinet, we think that says volumes about the reason for this unheard of step to be taken against him,” said Roxanne Conlin, Godfrey’s attorney.
Godfrey, now chief judge of the board that decides federal workers’ compensation disputes in Washington, said the statements were defamatory and that he was treated more harshly than other appointees because of his sexual orientation.
“It was obviously difficult during that period. It was difficult with my family,” he said.
Branstad, now the U.S. ambassador to China, said he sought to oust Godfrey after hearing complaints about rulings from business leaders and that he had the power to cut Godfrey’s pay. The former governor also said he was unaware that Godfrey is gay.
“It would be as though the governor decided he wanted different justices on the Supreme Court and just fired them all or decreased their salaries to the bottom of the range,” Conlin said.
“The governor said quite explicitly that he did it because I was not a team member of the Branstad team,” Godfrey said.
Dissenting Justice Edward Mansfield said the ruling will have "far-reaching effects," potentially prompting scores of lawsuits from current and former inmates alleging they were wrongly incarcerated.
But he said it may have little impact on Godfrey's case if Branstad can show that he and his staff had legal reasons for demanding Godfrey's resignation, cutting his pay and criticizing his performance.
“You can’t intimidate judges. You can’t extort judges,” Godfrey said. “As a judge, I had to be ethical and not succumb to those types of acts.”
Attorney George LaMarca is defending the state in the case and said after the landmark ruling, “We are pleased the Supreme Court left intact the defendants’ affirmative defenses, which we believe will dispose of Mr. Godfrey’s case.”
He declined to appear on-camera Wednesday but offered a brief statement: “With Mr. Godfrey’s lawsuit pending, I need to present his case to the court and not to the media. LaMarca told KCCI in 2012, however, that the “notion that the governor and six other persons got together and decided to discriminate against him based on his orientation is frivolous on its face. It simply didn’t happen.”
Reynolds is continuing the legal battle, and LaMarca’s defense doesn’t come cheap: A copy of his bills from the Iowa treasurer dating back five years shows his fees range from $94 a month to a staggering $120,000 a month. So far, that adds up to $916,000.
The astounding figure leaves taxpayers wondering why the state is spending nearly $1 million to pay for its attorney fees -- and potentially another $1 million for Conlin -- as opposed to paying Godrey the $40,000 a year cut from his pay.
“I have absolutely no idea why the state of Iowa and its executive officers proceed with a position that is absolutely ludicrous,” said Conlin. “They spend more and more taxpayer dollars; it’s just ridiculous.”
When asked at a news conference about the matter, Reynolds declined to comment “as long as it’s in litigation.”
“When anybody’s rights are trampled on, all of our rights are in danger,” Conlin said.
Godfrey’s attorney said she hopes the trial will go to court as soon as possible, though that could take months or more. Godfrey said he may be willing to settle out of court. The state’s attorney isn’t commenting yet on a possible settlement.
It is the second Iowa Supreme Court ruling that has gone Godfrey's way since he filed the lawsuit five and a half years ago. In 2014, the court ruled that state officials can be ordered to personally pay damages if they break the law and were acting outside the scope of their employment.