Litigation

Money Appeal Made to Remove IA Justices

By Peter Hardin

Conservative leader Bob Vander Plaats is seeking to raise money in order to remove four Iowa Supreme Court justices.

“Our interest is to engage our (supporters) and try to determine their interest in the call for getting the judges to resign as well as their interest in impeachment if they don’t resign,” the Associated Press quoted Vander Plaats as saying today.

He was a leader of the ouster campaign that resulted in votes denying re-election to three justices on Election Day (to learn more, see Gavel Grab). They were on the retention election ballot and were targeted for their role in a unanimous state Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriages in Iowa.

Now Vander Plaats heads a group called The Family Leader. The money that he wants to raise will be spent on direct mail, robo-calls, polling, and online ads, Vander Plaats said.

“When the Legislature gets called into session, we will be ready with our strategy on what direction we want the Legislature and the governor to move,” he said.

An e-mail that he sent out made the following appeal, according to a Sioux City Journal blog:

“Will you help us raise $8,000 by January 1st to restore credibility of the Iowa Supreme Court? We cannot allow unelected judges to encroach on the authority of our duly elected Legislature.”

Full post as published by The Gavel on December 29, 2010 (boomark / email).