DES MOINES, Iowa - The former spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Public Health is filing a wrongful termination lawsuit against the state.
Polly Carver-Kimm held a press conference at 9 am Thursday, to announce she’s suing Governor Kim Reynolds, Reynolds’ communications director Pat Garrett and the state of Iowa.
Carver-Kimm says she was wrongly forced out of her job for being honest with the press about the COVID-19 pandemic.
She’s seeking $5 million in damages.
Carver-Kimm was the longtime spokesperson for IDPH, and left the agency in July. At the time, she said the department's former director, Gerd Clabaugh, told her she could either resign or be fired.
The Governor's Office responded to the lawsuit late Thursday afternoon:
"This lawsuit is without merit, and we will be working with the Iowa Attorney General's Office to respond in court." -Chief of Staff for Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds Sara Craig