Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has filed a lawsuit against the Des Moines Register to block the release of certain government emails, citing a claim of “executive privilege” that her office says protects candid internal communications.

According to a report from the Des Moines Register, the lawsuit, filed April 25 in Polk County District Court, argues that such privilege is implied by the Iowa Constitution—even though it is not explicitly recognized in the state’s open records law. 

The dispute centers on a Feb. 11 records request from the news outlet seeking emails related to Reynolds’ comments about Lutheran Services in Iowa. While the governor’s office released over 800 pages, it withheld four emails, prompting legal pushback. 

On the same day Reynolds filed her suit, the ACLU of Iowa announced a separate lawsuit against her office over another use of executive privilege—this time concerning records related to the cancellation of a holiday display by the Iowa Satanic Temple. Both cases argue that the governor’s application of executive privilege lacks legal basis under current state law. 

Posted: May 6, 2025
Category: Brechner News
Tagged as: Brechner FOI Project, Brechner Freedom of Information Project, open records laws