Governor rejects district judge nominees; blasts Stoebe for tainting process

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has rejected two nominations for an open judgeship on the Iowa Judicial District 2B Court, one of them Humboldt County Attorney Jon Beaty.
On Thursday, Reynolds said in a letter to the District 2B Nominating Commission that Judge Kurt Stoebe of Humboldt, who chaired the Nominating Commission, tainted the process by favoring one candidate and opposing others.
On Oct. 12, 2021, District 2B Judicial Nominating Commissioners signed a letter to Governor Reynolds submitting two nominees to fill a district court vacancy. After the Nominating Commission submitted the names of the nominees, the judicial branch was contacted by the governor’s office regarding complaints about the conduct of Commission Chair Judge Kurt Stoebe. Judge Stoebe and each member of the commission were contacted and, in light of the concerns raised by commission members, Judge Stoebe agreed to step down as chair of future nominating commissions. Judge James Ellefson, the second most senior judge in Judicial District 2B, will succeed Judge Stoebe as chair of the District 2B Judicial Nominating Commission.
Reynolds said she is normally required to appoint judges from a list of nominees within 30 days, but said Stoebe’s actions forced her to reject both candidates and start the process over. Derek Johnson, a Fort Dodge attorney, was the other finalist for the judgeship.
In her letter, Reynolds said that commissioners reached out to her office after the Oct. 12 meeting to raise concerns about Stoebe’s conduct during the process. Her staff then started an investigation.
Reynolds reported that several commissioners voiced frustration about favoritism Stoebe showed to one unnamed applicant, which included giving that person extra interview time and favorable “coaching.”
She reported that Stoebe made “uncomfortable” and “disturbing” comments about some of the applicants, including questioning whether one applicant was up for the judgeship because of family obligations. It was reported that Stoebe criticized an applicant’s business and personal dealings at length. He reported his nickname for one applicant was “Clueless.”
Reynolds said Stoebe told commissioners that one applicant had withdrawn from consideration after the interview, which was not true. The applicant said he had made the comment in jest to a court reporter before the interview with the commission, but said he hadn’t withdrawn.
“Judge Stoebe’s conduct in this selection process wasn’t just unprofessional; his significantly misleading comments about the applicant withdrawing their application tainted this selection process to such an extent that the commission did not carefully consider each individual as required by the code,” the governor said in her letter.
It is only the second time that a sitting governor has rejected all candidates submitted by the Judicial Nominating Commission.
The Iowa Judicial Qualifications Commission is an independent government body responsible for investigating allegations of judicial misconduct. The Iowa Supreme Court does not (and cannot) discipline judicial officers without first receiving a public report from the Judicial Qualifications Commission after its investigation. The operations and procedures of the Commission are set forth in Iowa Code Sections 602.2103 and 2104.
The Humboldt Independent’s attempt to contact Judge Stoebe and County Attorney Beaty Friday afternoon were unsuccessful.
Look for more information on this story in the next edition of the Humboldt Independent.