ACLU Sues Iowa Governor for Withholding Records on Satanic Temple Event Ban

DES MOINES, Iowa — On Tuesday, the ACLU of Iowa has filed a lawsuit against Gov. Kim Reynolds, accusing her office of violating the state’s open records law by refusing to release documents tied to the cancellation of a proposed Satanic Temple event at the Iowa State Capitol.

The lawsuit, filed in Polk County District Court, stems from a public records request made in June 2024 by the Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers. The group sought records related to the state’s decision to block the Iowa Satanic Temple from holding a winter celebration in the Capitol rotunda.

Gov. Reynolds’ office turned over some materials, but according to the ACLU, many documents were withheld or heavily redacted. The governor’s office cited executive privilege in denying full access to the records.

Claims of Broad Executive Privilege

The ACLU argues the governor is using executive privilege too broadly, effectively shielding state actions from public scrutiny.

“At present, this claimed ‘executive privilege’ has no limit unless one is self-imposed by the governor’s office,” the lawsuit states. “This would ... allow the governor’s office to reject the public interest ... solely because of the potential for inconvenience or embarrassment.”

In addition to Reynolds, the lawsuit names Steven Blankinship, general counsel for the governor, as a defendant. The ACLU is asking the court to declare that the governor violated the Iowa Open Records Act, issue an order preventing further violations for one year, and require the release of the requested documents.

Governor’s Office Silent So Far

Reynolds’ office has not yet filed a response to the suit. Her communications team did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

This legal action comes shortly after Reynolds sought a separate court order to block the Des Moines Register from accessing unrelated documents involving Lutheran Social Services. In that case, her office also claimed executive privilege.

Past Clashes Over Transparency

The lawsuit is not the first time the ACLU has challenged Reynolds over government transparency. In 2023, the group successfully sued the governor on behalf of several media organizations, including Iowa Capital Dispatch. The Iowa Supreme Court ruled Reynolds’ office had violated the law by failing to respond in a timely manner to public records requests related to the state’s COVID-19 response.

Advocates Push Back

Jason Benell, president of the Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers, said government transparency should not depend on public opinion or political considerations.

“The governor’s office has repeatedly refused to respect the rights of Iowans by unjustly and flagrantly asserting executive privilege in order to avoid accountability in matters of public interest,” he said.

Thomas Story, an ACLU staff attorney, said the case challenges what he described as an “unprecedented ‘executive privilege’ to defy Iowa law.”

Randy Evans, executive director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, also criticized the move. He said withholding records about the Satanic Temple event appears to be a “continuation of the governor’s desire to shield from public release documents that might cast her in a negative light.”

“[The] people of Iowa are entitled to evaluate their governor’s actions,” Evans said. “That becomes difficult when the governor tries to hide behind what should be a very narrow interpretation of executive privilege.”