By Peter MantiusNorthern Bureau ChiefThe state Supreme Court has ruled that Gov. Terry Branstad and five senior aides could be held personally liable if a jury finds that they defamed and breached the employment contract of Workers’ Compensation Commissioner Christopher Godfrey. The 5-2 decision on Friday overturns a lower court ruling and sends the case back for a jury trial.The ruling clears the way for a jury or a judge to strip Branstad and the other defendants of their sovereign immunity protections and oblige them − rather than state taxpayers − to pick up the...
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