An investigation has been opened by the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board into the recently completed campaign of Rebel Snodgrass for Iowa House District 26 after a mailer was sent out to Warren County residents.

According to the official complaint, a mailer was sent out urging residents to vote Republican that indicated it was paid for with campaign funds by Dan Kelley, a former state representative from Newton. According to state election law, campaign committee funds cannot be used to benefit another candidate. Representatives from the board contacted Kelley, who stated that he sent the mailer on his own. Further investigation revealed that a campaign staffer for Rebel Snodgrass was seen mailing mass copies of the mailer, and the staffer revealed that the Snodgrass campaign was involved in the creation and distribution of the mailer, and the staffer was not aware of the involvement of Dan Kelley.

The Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board is currently investigating if either Dan Kelley violated campaign finance laws, or if he allowed use of his name by the Snodgrass Campaign to conceal who was responsible for the letter. According to the official complaint, no Snodgrass campaign finance report makes any mention of the mailer.

Snodgrass tells KNIA News “This is the third ethics complaint filed against me, and I have been found unanimously not guilty each previous time, and this time will be no different. I am not guilty of any ethics violations.”

Current State Representative Democrat Scott Ourth was advised by counsel to not comment during an open investigation.