Culver’s Chief of Staff Ordered Intimidation of Des Moines Register Reporter
- Tuesday, December 8, 2009, 4:30
- Iowa, News Center, Top Story
- 5,877 views
- 16 comments
Emails obtained by TheIowaRepublican.com between Governor Chet Culver’s communications staff and two Des Moines Register reporters show that the Governor’s office threatened Des Moines Register political reporter Jason Clayworth after he publishing unflattering photos of Governor Culver while Culver participated in a triathlon.
Clayworth’s blog appeared on the Des Moines Register’s political page for less than an hour on the afternoon of November 18th. Below is what Clayworth posted on the Register’s webpage.
Pictures of a shirtless Chet Culver?
Pictures of the triathlon that Gov. Chet Culver participated in last weekend have been posted online. While the pictures do not include detailed descriptions, it appears that Culver wore a yellow cap while swimming. In another picture, he’s standing shirtless before the bike portion. Culver completed the Boy Ranch Triathlon in Florida in 3:03:27.
Troy Price, a spokesman for the governor, said he wasn’t sure if these pictures are the governor. However, from the pictures, it doesn’t appear that many participants were of the governor’s build. The pictures are posted on the StateOfMindSports.net web site. You decide if the guy with the yellow cap is the governor.
[Clayworth then posted a number of photos]
Erin Seidler, Culver’s Communication Director, sent the following email to Jason Clayworth minutes after he had published the article and photos.
From: Seidler, Erin [IGOV] [mailto:Erin.Seidler@iowa.gov]
Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 1:53 PM
To: Clayworth, Jason
Cc: Hunter, Carol; Frew, John [IGOV]; Price, Troy [IGOV]
Subject: Blog PostJason –
After seeing your attempt at mocking the Governor today, the Governor’s office will no longer be responding to your questions or providing you with information until you change the post and apologize. You better than anyone know what it is like to have personal photographs posted on a blog. Please let us know how you would like to proceed.
Erin Seidler
Erin Seidler
Communications Director
Governor’s Office
1007 E. Grand Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Direct: 515/281-4294
Cell: 515/537-4465
E-mail: erin.seidler@iowa.gov
Website: www.governor.iowa.gov
Clayworth’s response to Seidler in which he apologizes and removes his article:
From: Clayworth, Jason [mailto:jclaywor@desmoine.gannett.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 2:30 PM
To: Seidler, Erin [IGOV]
Cc: Hunter, Carol; Frew, John [IGOV]; Price, Troy [IGOV]
Subject: RE: Blog PostErin,
I do apologize.
The intent of the blog was/is not to mock the governor and I’m sorry it was perceived as doing so.
Instead, the point was to provide our readers with additional pictures of the governor, who admirably completed a grueling marathon. That’s noteworthy and, as a public figure, our readers are interested in those pictures.
Again, I am sorry you perceived the post as mocking but please be assured that was not my intent. My goal with the blog was to bring about additional attention to what I consider to be a significant accomplishment.
To avert any inclination of disrespect and to show gratitude for all of the assistance your office has provided in the past, I have removed the post.
Sincerely,
Jason Clayworth
Seidler then thanked Clayworth for removing the blog post. The email exchange clearly shows the Governor’s office purposely intimidating a reporter in hopes to get the story removed from the Register’s website. It is obvious that Clayworth took Seidler’s threat to black list him very seriously. If he would have refused to give into Seidler’s demands, Clayworth might have put his own job in jeopardy. As a political reporter, it is imperative for him to have the ability to ask the Governor’s office for information and comment, Seidler’s threat essentially would have made it impossible for Clayworth to do his job.
The most shocking development isn’t that Seidler successfully intimidated a reporter, it’s that she was told to do so by Governor Culver’s Chief of Staff, John Frew.
In response to several questions concerning Seidler’s threatening email to Clayworth, Frew responded to TheIowaRepublican.com by writing, “I considered the posting of those photos to be a mean spirited attempt to damage the personal reputation of Governor Culver. You and I both know that there is no other explanation. Petty personal attacks are to be expected from industry-specific media such as The Iowa Republican, but never from the mainstream, independent media. Fortunately, the Des Moines Register agreed and withdrew the photos. It’s a good rule for you to consider adopting. We’ve never met, but if you happened to be someone who has a physical or mental impairment, or happened to weigh more than others think you should, I would be just as disappointed if someone ran a photo of you with an unflattering perspective. Let me know as I would be happy to defend you should the same thing happen to you. P.S. Erin’s actions were at my direction. Have a great day.”
What is ironic about the entire situation is that Troy Price, Culver’s Press Secretary, was communicating with Jennifer Jacobs, another reporter for Des Moines Register, the day before Frew ordered Seidler to threaten Jason Clayworth.
Jacobs had requested information regarding the triathlon as well as a photo. Price provided her with his overall time, his individual event splits, and three photos. Jacobs even sent Price her story and he was pleased with it, except he took offense to her use of the term “turtle-like” when describing Culver’s run time. Price asked Jacobs, “Any chance we could just say ‘his run time was a bit slow?’
The arrogance and heavy-handedness of Culver’s Chief of Staff is unbelievable. It was Culver’s own communications team that originally told Jason Clayworth that the Governor was going to participate in a triathlon. Culver’s office intentionally sought media attention for the event. When a Des Moines Register reporter sought comment and photos following the event, the Governor’s office complied with the request. Yet, when another reporter posted additional publicly available photos from the event, Culver’s Chief of Staff called foul and ordered Seidler to intimidate that reporter.
This is simply a case of the Governor’s office wanting to control every aspect of a story that they themselves created. Nobody would have known that Culver participated in a triathlon had Culver’s press office not said anything. Furthermore, the Governor’s office supplied information and photos following the event. The only problem Frew and the communications staff had with Clayworth’s article is that it showed the Governor with his shirt off. This would be a non-story had the governor worn a wet suit or always kept a shirt on.
In addition to the heavy handedness of the Governor’s office, The Des Moines Register also should bear some blame for folding under the pressure from the Governor’s office. Clayworth clearly states the reason why he wrote his article. Seidler’s email was also sent to Carol Hunter, the Register’s Editorial page editor. One would think that Hunter would have sided with Clayworth, not the Governor’s office.
Can the people of Iowa trust the news contained in the Des Moines Register now that we have proof that they gave into the heavy handed demands of the Governor’s office? What else has the Governor’s office prevented the Des Moines Register from printing or reporting?
The above emails were obtained from the Governor’s office through an open records request by TheIowaRepublican.com. Krusty Konservative, a TIR blogger had noticed that the Des Moines Register had removed Clayworth’s blog entry, but had saved it and published it and the photos of Culver on TheIowaRepublican.com website. To date, more that story has been viewed over 19,000 times.
Photo by Dave Davidson
About the Author
Craig Robinson has written 700 stories on this site.
Craig Robinson serves as the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheIowaRepublican.com. Prior to founding Iowa's largest conservative news site, Robinson served as the Political Director of the Republican Party of Iowa during the 2008 Iowa Caucuses. In that capacity, Robinson planned and organized the largest political event in 2007, the Iowa Straw Poll, in Ames, Iowa. Robinson also organized the 2008 Republican caucuses in Iowa, and was later dispatched to Nevada to help with the caucuses there. Robinson cut his teeth in Iowa politics during the 2000 caucus campaign of businessman Steve Forbes and has been involved with most major campaigns in the state since then. His extensive political background and rolodex give him a unique perspective from which to monitor the political pulse of Iowa.
16 Comments on “Culver’s Chief of Staff Ordered Intimidation of Des Moines Register Reporter”
Write a Comment
Gravatars are small images that can show your personality. You can get your gravatar for free today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Compare that to how the DSM Register treats Sarah. At one time the Register had a set. I know someone at the Register is going to read this. Why do you think your paper is in a death slide? And a story like this means it is picking up steam. What happened to a paper that would have told the gov office you need us a lot more than we need you. Really all you have to do is look at people’s favorites list. Site’s like Drudge are home pages and in my case DSM Reg and Globe Gazette are under a file called news. The Onion is in the same file.
Is it just me or did Culvers Chief of Staff just admit Culver has a physical and/or mental impairment?
Hmm.. if you ask me..this clearly looks like an inappropriate use of state resources here.
We have the Chief of Staff and the governor’s press office basically engaging in media intimidation here.
It was a well known fact that Culver was going to participate in this triathlon. The Governor’s office had even publicized this. Did they seriously think that the media SHOULDN’T cover the event?
There was a day not too long ago, that if a newspaper or other media outlet was threatened in such a way…they’d blast them out of the water for their arrogance.
However, who wants to bet that come election time..the DMR will endorse Culver all the same….
Good point, Hawk. Frew is a state employee.
You would think Erin would be smart enough not to write an email that could be made public with Iowa’s Open Records laws. She should have used the telephone.
Is anyone else seriously bothered by this? Both the DM Register bending over like this and the Governor’s office actions?
And I have a question for Mr. Few if he considers the posting of those photos to be a mean spirited attempt to damage the personal reputation of Governor Culver. Why is the Governor’s official office getting involved? Is that a proper use of public resources. I know I am not on the state’s dime or using the state’s resources. I wonder if this is something the Ethic’s board needs to look into?
Harry, Erin is a Democrat. They don’t think the rules apply to them so why not threaten the Register? Especially when your $160,000 a year state employee boss tells you to do it? What a sad state of affairs Culver and his staff have put our state in.
what other midwest Gov. put pressure on a newspaper a while back. The great Rod Blagojevich from IL. And look where he is today. Only difference the Tribune didn’t fold up and kiss ass
Good point, JB.
Does anyone find it interesting that the Democrats have nothing to say on this topic? And lets be honest we know it isn’t because they are all worried about the budget problems the state is going through.
Where is hair gel boy Michael Kiernan with his knee-jerk “I’m outraged!” press release???
Are you serious, JB? The Trib had evidence of Gov. Blago soliticing bribes. The Reg. had evidence of Gov. Culver being fat.
I don’t like the Reg kissing ass any more than you do, but come on! Not the same, man!
The problem is, if the Register is caving on this slightly embarrassing story (which Gov’s staff promoted), what else are they willing to cave on? What else have they already caved on?
sharphawkeye- this is from the Chicago Tribune
Blagojevich and Harris also allegedly conspired to demand the firing of Chicago Tribune editorial board members responsible for editorials critical of Blagojevich in exchange for state help with the sale of Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs baseball stadium owned by Tribune Co link http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2008/12/source-feds-take-gov-blagojevich-into-custody.html
Right JB, in exchange for state help. More bribery. Not the same.
The Gov’s office only said they’d cut off contact with the Reg, which is their right. Politicians, celebrities, corporations choose to speak to certain media and blackball others all the time. Doesn’t make it right, but it’’s not illegal.
Carol Hunter hasn’t been the Register’s editorial page editor since July. She is Jason’s boss. The editorial page editor is Linda Fandel. You might want to check some of your facts.
It is difficult to understand why the Register acquiesced so quickly. I’m sure they wouldn’t have done it for Dick Cheney. It’s as if both the Register and the Governor’s office forgot which one of them not only buys ink by the barrel, but can publish online 24-7.