Iowa Senate District 19 candidate Bob Eschliman has asked the Iowa Office of Attorney General to review “VOCA Projects” current receiving federal grants funneled through her office.
VOCA stands for the Victims of Crime Act of 1994, which aims to guarantee the rights of victims of crime by providing access to support services, information about their rights, and assistance as they navigate the criminal justice process. The money from the program comes from federal taxpayers and is intended for local organizations throughout Iowa that provide direct services related to the VOCA mission.
“There are a number of very fine organizations that are providing support and assistance to the victims of crime, but there are three listed under the ‘VOCA Projects’ portion of the grants list that give cause for concern,” Eschliman wrote. “Is it possible to learn how each of these groups is advancing the VOCA mission for Iowans?”
The three grant recipients that caught Eschliman’s attention are:
· Iowa Safe Schools – based on a review of this organization’s outreach efforts, it is aimed primarily to promote the LGBTQ agenda in public schools as the forward-facing piece of the GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) in public K-12 programs throughout the state. It will be hosting an event called “GSA Con” on Oct. 25.
· Iowa Arts in Education – operates under the name ArtForce Iowa, which is seemingly little more than a non-profit organization that acts as a propagandist for the Democratic Party of Iowa. On Monday, it posted a couple of colorful, flowery images promoting “Indigenous People’s Day” with the message: “You can’t discover lands that were already inhabited!”
· Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice – of the three, this is arguably the most problematic. Listed as an “ally” of the Democratic Party of Iowa, this organization works directly with Iowa CCI Action Fund to push a liberal-progressive-socialist agenda, and actively campaigned against House Study Bill 187 last legislative session – a bill that directed Iowa law enforcement to support the enforcement of federal immigration laws. They are currently operating a hotline for “Rapid Response Teams” that will show up immediately to protest any ICE arrest in Iowa.
“All three organizations have an active presence on social media, but I do not see anything in their posts that suggest they have done anything at all with regard to support and assistance to the victims of crime,” Eschliman added. “This may be the result of an oversight or carryover from former Attorney General Tom Miller’s time in office, but I am very concerned that the funding provided to these organizations may be depriving other worthy organizations of funding they may desperately need.”
He has also included a public records request for how much taxpayer money each of the organizations has received. The email was directed to the Office of Attorney General’s grant administrator, Lori Miller, as well as the Open Records contact in the office.