Governor Tom Vilsack today scolded a Des Moines Register reporter for a story about a report on child abuse investigations in the state. The story said the Governor’s office was keeping secret a preliminary report from the American Humane Association on Iowa’s system. Vilsack says there was no intent to keep the report secret as they hadn’t even seen the report yet. Vilsack says they wanted to review the report before sending it out to reporters.Vilsack says his office is making copies of the report to send to reporters. He says that’s the way it would have been even if the Register had not done a story on the issue.Vilsack says this preliminary report may have some inaccuracies that will need to be corrected in the final version. He says that final version will likely be used to help improve the system as a guide in helping form legislative priorities. Vilsack bristled when asked if the report being sent to reporters would be unedited and at a reporter’s comment they were only looking to get to “the bottom of the Shelby Duis” murder/abuse case. Vilsack said, “There isn’t anything to get to the bottom of.” He says all the information on the case is available and the state is working to make the system better.Vilsack made his comments at his weekly news conference with reporters.
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