Oh wow:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/...
Ms. Ernst made a name for herself with an ad titled "Squeal" that went viral this past March in her quest to stand heads above a crowded Republican field in Iowa. She promised in the ad that if elected, she would "make 'em squeal" in the nation's capital, based on a special skill learned on an Iowa farm.
However, Ms. Ernst may now be doing the squealing as Politico reports that Ms. Ernst may have played a role in a military sexual assault case, when she was serving in the National Guard in Kuwait.
A soldier under her command was accused of rape in a case that military investigators later deemed unfounded. The role she played in the case is now coming under scrutiny as the Republican state lawmaker is locked in an election that could tip the balance of power in the Senate.
Ernst may have been caught embellishing her role in the case, by telling the accuser in 2012 that she had nothing to do with the probe by the Criminal Investigation Command, or CID. “I was not involved with the investigation — period,” she told the woman. However, Politico reports that indeed, "Ernst took statements at the scene and provided them to CID investigators." - Digital Journal, 8/26/14
Here's some more info:
http://www.politico.com/...
The sequence of events, documents show, unfolded like this: A man under the command of Ernst, who was a National Guard captain in Kuwait, was accused on New Year’s Day 2004 of raping a female servicemember from another unit. Ernst requested statements from the occupants of the accused man’s tent and delivered them to the CID investigating officer, according to an investigative report.
The investigating officer “coordinated with CPT ERNST. [The officer] learned that CPT ERNST had identified all occupants of [the accused solider’s] tent and requested they all provide her with a statement documenting their knowledge of the events of 1 Jan 04. CPT ERNST provided these statements to” the investigating officer, investigators wrote in a report.
In parenthesis, the report then says, “see statements for details.” Additional military documents on the case were not immediately available.
The campaign referred a reporter to retired Maj. Gen. Mike Nardotti to speak about the case. Nardotti was not involved in the investigation at the time, but he reviewed documents and said Ernst acted appropriately. Nardotti, who has supported congressional candidates in both parties over the past 15 years, said he has no affiliation with the campaign. He previously served as the army’s judge advocate general.
“No matter what the local command does, it has no effect on CID,” said Nardotti, now a partner at lobbying giant Patton Boggs. “The fact that she told them to basically prepare statements, that’s fine,” he said, referring to the statements that Ernst collected from subordinates after the accusation was first made. Nardotti noted that the case ultimately was dismissed, though the accused man was punished for drinking alcohol.
The accuser, whom POLITICO interviewed in May, was discharged “under honorable conditions” from the military a month after she alleged the rape occurred, according to a certificate of discharge. The reason cited was misconduct. There was no direct explanation in the documents for that apparent contradiction.
CID determined initially that she made false official statements and then swore to them, according to Army correspondence. In 2011, CID conducted a “thorough review” of its earlier investigation and determined the false swearing offense was unfounded, the correspondence shows. The finding that she made false official statements was not changed at that time.
The accuser has been seeking to draw attention to Ernst’s involvement in the rape investigation. In 2012, she emailed Ernst to ask about the case. Replying from her official state Senate account, Ernst wrote: “CID at Camp Arifjan handled this investigation. I was not involved with the investigation — period. Any sworn statements were taken by CID; I was not involved. The Article 15 is non-judicial punishment as you are aware, and was given for consumption of alcohol in violation of General Order 1a.”
Susan Burke, an attorney who has represented victims in military sexual assault cases, reviewed documents concerning the case at the request of POLITICO and disagreed with Ernst’s characterization of her role. “The CID report shows beyond dispute that she is involved with the investigation,” said Burke, a Democrat. - Politico, 8/26/14
Ernst has been trying to make her handling of the sexual assault case part of her campaign and it's been under scrutiny since she brought it up:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/...
The report says the woman's description of the events shifted several times. Investigators determined there was probable cause she violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice by making a "false official statement" because she made a claim "she knew was false at the time she swore to it."
Ernst, now a lieutenant colonel with the Iowa National Guard, was a captain at the time. Supporters of her Democratic opponent, U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, have circulated allegations that she covered up the crime or her role in it.
Asked about the case, Ernst told the Register: "It was important that we make sure that it was investigated. ... Whether I agreed or disagreed (with the conclusions), it was an independent investigation."
If the accusations had been founded, "it would have gone to a higher level," she said. - Des Moines Register, 8/18/14
Not only is Ernst turning out to be a fraud but she can't stop being an idiotic ding bat on this issue:
http://www.msnbc.com/...
Ernst raised eyebrows last week when the very conservative state senator said a $7.25 minimum wage is “a great starter wage for many high school students.” Ernst was apparently unaware of the fact that most Americans who work for the minimum wage are adults.
Yesterday, Ernst went further, arguing the federal minimum should be $0 and states should set their own.
”The minimum wage is a safety net. For the federal government to set the minimum wage for all 50 states is ridiculous,” Ernst said Monday.
“The standard of living in Iowa is different than it is in New York or California or Texas. One size does not fit all,” she said.
Ernst may not realize this, but the minimum wage varies by state. The federal government establishes a floor which states may not drop below, but Congress does not “set the minimum wage for all 50 states.” - MSNBC, 8/26/14
The more and more we reveal about Ernst the more voters realize she's a liar and an extremist. We can beat her, we just have to make sure the base comes out for Rep. Bruce Braley (D. IA). Click here to donate and get involved with Braley's campaign:
http://www.brucebraley.com/