DES MOINES — The head of the Iowa Democratic Party has criticized Gov. Kim Reynolds for taking campaign contributions from a company that provides Medicaid services under the state's privatized health care system, but records show two Democratic leaders in the Legislature also accepted money from such companies.
The Des Moines Register reports Wednesday that campaign disclosure records show Rep. Mark Smith of Marshalltown accepted a $1,000 campaign contribution last month from Anthem, the parent company of Amerigroup, which has a Medicaid contract with the state. He also received $1,000 from the company in 2017 and 2016, and in 2016 he received a $1,300 contribution from UnitedHealthcare, which also has a Medicaid contract.
Records show Sen. Janet Petersen of Des Moines also took a $1,000 contribution from Anthem last year and $500 in 2016.
Smith and Petersen told the Register that regardless of contributions, they had voted to return the Medicaid system to state management.
Reynolds campaign spokesman Pat Garrett called the Democratic criticisms of Reynolds "as false as they were hypocritical."