Ethics & Campaign board will investigate election complaint against Cerro Gordo supervisor candidate

DES MOINES — The Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board on Thursday afternoon unanimously voted to accept a complaint and start an investigation against a Cerro Gordo County Board of Supervisors candidate who allegedly used public resources for a political purpose while working in the County Auditor’s office at the courthouse.

Lori Meacham Ginapp is the Democratic candidate running for the Third District seat on the supervisors and is an election and drainage clerk in the Auditor’s office. 

Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board executive director Zach Goodrich says a complaint was filed on October 31st by County Auditor Adam Wedmore, who is also a Democrat.  “The evidence showed that she was using county property, more specifically a county computer for campaign purposes. The complainant also alleged that Ms. Ginapp used county time. I will note that the complainant is the Cerro Gordo County Auditor and the supervisor of Ms. Ginapp, which is how he was able to obtain that evidence. What I’m asking for here is that we accept this complaint so we can investigate this matter further.”

Goodrich told the board that he felt there was sufficient cause to start an investigation.  “Based on the evidence provided, it appears to meet the bar of legal sufficiency as required in Section 68B.32.”

No timeline was given for how long the investigation would last.

The Third District includes all of Mason City’s First Ward, the second and third precincts of the Second Ward and the first precinct of the Fourth Ward. The district also covers the communities of Rock Falls and Plymouth and the Falls and Lime Creek-Mason North townships.