Iowa Ethics Board Dismisses Complaint Against Regent Bruce Rastetter

The Iowa Ethics board has decided today to dismiss a complaint against Bruce Rastetter, who is a member of the Iowa Board of Regents.

The Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board met today to, among other hearings, consider a complaint filed by the Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, which accused connected to an attempted land deal in Tanzania between Iowa State University, which Rastetter oversees as a Regent, and his company AgriSol Energy.

The board said Rastetter's financial disclosure forms were incomplete but not fraudulent, as was suggested. Rastetter filed an amended disclosure form with additional information this week, which the board said satisfied his obligation.

Also, the CCI's complaints weren't "legally sufficient" for the board to do an investigation, the ethics board said.

The board dismissed the complaint in a unanimous vote.

Rastetter was not on hand for the hearing, but he did have an attorney present. Rastetter did not respond directly to an email seeking comment, but a spokesperson released a statment, which is attached to this article.

“I strive to manage my business interests with the highest degree of integrity,”  Rastetter said in the statement. “I look forward to continuing to improve the educational opportunities and affordability of Iowa’s public universities as a member of the Board of Regents.  With this matter now behind me, I can focus my efforts on advocating on behalf of Iowa’s outstanding universities and, most importantly, Iowa’s students.”  

The Iowa Board of Regents said they have no comment on the ruling, or if they will consider the matter further.