INSIDE JOB

Iowa County Picks Election Denier to Oversee Elections

Warren County Democrats want a redo after David Whipple’s conspiracy posts came to light.

Residents in Warren County, Iowa are calling for a special election after learning that the county’s newly appointed auditor is a conspiracy theorist who shared 2020 election denialist posts, as well as a 9/11 conspiracy documentary from a flat earth Facebook page. David Whipple has no government experience, the Iowa Starting Line reported. Nevertheless, county supervisors this month appointed him as county auditor, a position that involves overseeing elections. Among Whipple’s questionable Facebook posts are an upload of a QAnon documentary, a film that claims the 9/11 terror attacks were computer-generated, and posts casting doubt on President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Whipple’s critics, including the local Democratic party, are calling for a special election. To trigger the vote, they need a petition signed by at least 2,409 residents. Local Republican leadership argued against the petition, calling it a politically motivated bid to oust a conservative from office.