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An ethics complaint against Iowa representative Erik Helland has been dismissed with prejudice.
Helland had been accused by his Republican opponent, Jake Highfill, of offering him a job so he wouldn’t run against him in the republican primary.
The House Ethics Committee said the rules prevent someone from bribing a member of the House, but there is nothing in the language that prevents a House member from bribing a citizen.
Representative Phillis Thede (D) House District 81, is one of two committee members who voted against the dismissal. “I voted no because of the seriousness of the complaint. I wanted to send a clear message that we do take this very seriously,” Thede said.
Lawmakers say this is a loophole and they would like to fix.
