By Roth & Company, PC Tax Update Blog

Roth & Company, PC Tax Update Blog

Teaching a lesson in loyalty to the bureaucracy
August 31, 2011

Former film office Director was on the stand yesterday in his trial on Felony charges of official misconduct. This exchange reported in The Des Moines Register is an eye-opener:

Wheeler testified that he spent long days at the office in 2008 and 2009, frequently took film calls at his home and even fielded emails during his father’s funeral.

"Why would you do that?" defense attorney Angela Campbell asked.

"Because I was on call 24-7, 365, and I was a loyal servant to the state," Wheeler responded.

That, of course, would be the state that is trying to put him in jail for a program that was ill-conceived, badly drafted, and put in the charge of a guy who was hired to sell Iowa to the film industry, not run an enormous spending program with almost no guidance, oversight or staff.

While Mr. Wheeler didn't exactly cover himself with glory in administering this pinata for Hollywood, it's hard to see where it was corruption, rather than ineptitude. Even the prosecution has presented no evidence that Mr. Wheeler got any personal benefit. They want to put him in jail. Meanwhile, his immediate supervisor, the officials in other departments who green-lighted some of the worst abuses, the 143 legislators who passed a law with no definitions, limits, controls or funding, and the Governor who signed the bill and who has ultimate responsibility for its administration, skip away without consequence.

Closing arguments are set for today.