Joni, your scandal needs addressed

As a Republican and Iowan, I am disgusted by the allegations in the recent ProPublica report. If true, your behavior is a betrayal of the values you claim to uphold—integrity, service, and accountability. Engaging in personal relationships with senior military officials who were actively lobbying you is not just unethical; it is a slap in the face to every Iowan who trusted you to put their interests first. You campaigned as a no-nonsense, principled leader who would drain the swamp, yet here you are, knee-deep in the very kind of Washington corruption that conservatives are sick and tired of. Instead of addressing these serious allegations head-on, you brush them off as “fake news,” as if that somehow absolves you of responsibility. That response is cowardly and insulting. You owe Iowans an honest answer, not dismissive talking points. You are already on angry Republican radars for all the damage you are allowing to our university research, harmful tariffs, and unpaid grants to farmers. Do you even want to be re-elected? Because you're not acting like it. Between these new ethical concerns and your failure to protect Iowa’s economy, you are making it clear that you are more interested in playing Washington games than actually serving the people who put you in office. If you truly believe in personal responsibility, then take some. Explain yourself. If you can’t convincingly refute these claims, then do the right thing and step aside. Iowa deserves better than self-serving politicians who betray their constituents while lining up favors behind closed doors. Consider this a warning: Iowans are watching, and we do not forget.