The Iowa Leadership Council (ILC) was opened last year [2005] with a $1,000 loan from Republican House Speaker Christopher Rants, who has also solicited contributions to it. The Council has received contributions from Republican legislators as well as $40,000 from predatory lenders, $60,000 from tobacco companies, and $50,000 from a casino owner. The Council was created to avoid accountability under Iowa’s campaign finance law.
“A $60,000 donation from tobacco companies killed the cigarette tax,” said House Democratic Leader Pat Murphy. “Fifty-thousand dollars from casino interests squashed TouchPlay machines and $55,000 from car title lenders nixed interest rate limits on loans. It’s not hard to see the pattern. If you have the money, you can get what you want from Speaker Rants and Republicans.”
This group which also has had contributions from Mid-American Energy and RJ Reynolds, is targeting Democrats in several Iowa House Districts including Elesha Gayman, Eric Palmer, McKinley Bailey, Bob Kressig, and Art Staed.
More from Century of The Common Iowan
Here's an ad from the ILC
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