Iowa corrections director improperly appointed, auditor finds, but consequences unclear

Gov. Kim Reynolds appointed the director of the Iowa Department of Corrections in a process that violated state law, according to a state audit released this week.

Reynolds named Director Beth Skinner — a nearly 20-year veteran of the department — as director in June 2019, replacing retiring interim Director Dan Craig. The Iowa Senate approved Skinner's appointment in February.

Iowa law, however, requires that prior to any appointment, the Iowa Board of Corrections "recommend to the governor the names of individuals qualified for the position of director when a vacancy exists in the office" — a step that did not occur, according to the audit report by state Auditor Rob Sand.

Sand’s office recommended the board establish procedures to ensure compliance —advice the corrections department said it would share with its board.

Skinner met the state's required qualifications for the job, Sand said Tuesday.

It was not immediately clear what — if any — action would be taken as result of the audit. Iowa law does not specify that the governor, who appoints the corrections board, a citizen oversight panel, choose from its approved candidates.

"The question is not so much whether it would have made a difference, because I think that's hard to answer," Sand told the Des Moines Register. "It's a question of doing it the right way or the wrong way. Either we care about following the law and following the rules or we don't. And the only way to judge whether we care about that is whether we do it."

Reynolds told reporters Tuesday she was not aware of the board's required role in the process when she appointed Skinner. She didn't specify any action that would be taken as a result of the audit. 

"So, what I know about that is I think the auditor has, through a report, noted that the board didn’t fulfill a step they were supposed to fulfill, but again I did not know," Reynolds said. 

Skinner did not respond to a request for comment, but Cord Overton, a spokesman for the department, said the board has been given a copy of the audit and will be advised "on their statutory duties." 

Lynn Hicks, a spokesman for the Iowa Attorney General’s Office, said he was not aware of any involvement the office would have in resolving the problems cited in the audit.

The board's failure to follow the required procedure came to light as part of a complaint filed last year to the Iowa Public Information Board by Marty Ryan, a former lobbyist for the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa. Ryan alleged the board had violated an open meetings law, a complaint that was ultimately dismissed by the information board. Ryan wrote about the issue in December in the Bleeding Heartland political blog.

Jason Clayworth is an investigative reporter at the Des Moines Register. He can be reached at 515-699-7058 or at jclayworth@dmreg.com.

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