DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - The Iowa Finance Authority has fired its lobbyist after an investigation alleged he failed to report sexual misconduct by its former director.
A lawyer representing Wes Peterson confirmed his client was terminated Thursday. Peterson had served as the authority’s director of government relations since 2011.
Attorney Patrick White says Peterson has been treated unfairly “and it was wrong for him to be terminated.”
The move came one week after the release of an investigation into misconduct by former authority director Dave Jamison.
The report portrayed Peterson as a “sidekick” who often joined Jamison at Des Moines bars. The report said Peterson witnessed Jamison grabbing a co-worker’s breasts at a bar in 2016 but didn’t report it. The report said Peterson yelled at the woman demanding to know whether she’d filed a complaint with Gov. Kim Reynolds after Jamison was fired in March.
White said that there were “inaccuracies” in the report, but declined to elaborate.
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