Paul D. Pate

There are no reports of criminal convictions, indictments, or bribery charges against Paul Pate. His career has been subject to the following controversies: In 2018, reports indicated Pate failed to initially disclose ownership of several business entities on his ethics filings. Pate maintained his filings were accurate, though he later amended them to list the businesses, citing a commitment to transparency. He also faced criticism for his attendance record at Iowa Executive Council meetings, where he frequently participated by phone. In 2024, Pate faced significant criticism for directing county auditors to challenge the ballots of over 2,000 voters whose citizenship he could not confirm. Critics argued the effort used flawed data and disenfranchised eligible voters. A federal judge allowed the ballot challenges to proceed at the time, and subsequent reviews confirmed a small fraction of the targeted individuals were noncitizens.