IOWA CITY, Iowa ― The University of Iowa has quietly awarded several no-bid contracts totaling $321,900 to a prominent GOP consultant for polling and social media services often delivered through subcontractors, a review by The Associated Press discovered.
Critics say the contracts with former Iowa Republican Party chairman Matt Strawn’s namesake company ― uncovered through a public records request ― look like a sweetheart deal among Republican insiders and a potential waste of money. The university sidestepped a policy that normally requires competitive bidding to ensure services are obtained at the lowest cost by claiming Strawn’s company was providing a unique service.
But the university’s former vice president of strategic communication said he had no idea that Strawn had the contracts. And some of the money has gone for statewide opinion polling that the university is refusing to make public, saying doing so would “serve no public purpose.”
“Is this ineptitude on the part of university personnel or is it conscious cronyism?” asked Iowa Democratic activist Julie Stauch, who has experience in polling and campaigns. She said she believed the university was overpaying by passing contracts through The Strawn Co., an arrangement that can increase costs by 15 percent.
University spokeswoman Jeneane Beck said Strawn’s company was chosen because it “provided better communication options across multiple platforms” than others and political relationships weren’t a factor. She said the company was “having a positive impact” on the university’s image and helps develop messages to engage constituents.
Strawn said his services were adding value, while acknowledging that polling, focus groups and some social media consulting were coordinated through two vendors with prominent Republican Party ties. His company is paid from university donations.
