The Ombudsman does not have jurisdiction over employees of the Iowa General Assembly or Legislators.
Complaints about conduct and ethics
If you have a complaint about legislative staff or a legislator’s conduct or ethics that are unrelated to a campaign, you can contact the following offices:
Secretary of the Senate
State Capitol Building
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
515-281-5307
Chief Clerk of the House
State Capitol Building
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
515-281-5383
You can also find contact information for members of each chamber’s Ethics Committee at:
For the House: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/committees/committee?ga=89&groupID=308
For the Senate: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/committees/committee?ga=89&groupID=307
Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board
The Board can only look into action involving legislators if it involves campaign finance laws. For other ethical complaints, see contacts provided above. You can find additional Board information and a complaint form at: https://ethics.iowa.gov/
Tips for Making a Complaint
► Ask if you can speak with a supervisor or manager about your issue.
► Clearly explain what your issue is and what you’d like the outcome to be.
► Write down the names of the people you speak with, when you spoke with them and what they said.
► Make the conversation about what you need, be persistent but remain calm and polite.
► If you are still unsatisfied, ask what appeal and review processes are available and pay close attention to their criteria and deadlines.
Not Sure? Contact Us!
Please contact us directly if you don’t think it would be appropriate for us to require you to go through an available complaint or review process before we consider your complaint. We can consider your specific circumstances before we decide – including the urgency of your complaint or any disabilities or barriers you may be experiencing.
