State Supreme Court Finds Branstad Could Be Personally Liable

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...