Former Iowa Gov. Branstad — now President Trump's US ambassador to China — discriminated against an ex-official in 2011 because he’s gay, jury finds.
On Monday, Branstad’s attorney directed reporters to the office of the current governor, also a Republican, for comment.
“We are disappointed in the verdict and are consulting with our attorneys,” Gov. Kim Reynolds’ spokesman, Pat Garrett, said. Godfrey, a Democrat, sued Branstad and several members of his staff and Cabinet in 2012. The lawsuit initially included Reynolds, but she was dropped from the case before it went to trial as were several others.
Remaining as defendants were the state, Branstad, former Branstad legal counsel Brenna Findley, and former Branstad chief of staff Jeff Boeyink.Branstad took the action against Godfrey shortly after he was elected to the first of his two most recent terms as governor. Godfrey, who couldn’t be fired under a provision in Iowa law intending his six-year term to be insulated from politics, alleged Branstad pressured him to resign by cutting more than a third of his salary.
“Keep in mind the day after Branstad did this or it may have been the very day, I called the governor’s office and I said, ‘Restore his salary, apologize and it will be over,’” said Godfrey’s attorney, Roxanne Conlin. “Instead it took eight years to get justice. Eight very long years.”
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