26 Comments
User's avatar
Mandi Remington's avatar

This is interesting. As far as residents can tell, she never did live at the Davenport apartment. I've been calling her out on the lie since speaking to people who do live there earlier in the year.

Laura Belin's avatar

She wouldn't even need to live there to keep her registration there. She would only need to be paying rent and have a lease with her name on it. I can't think of any reason she would want to transfer her registration back to Ottumwa.

Mandi Remington's avatar

Yeah, me neither. Other than maybe trying to avoid it being so obvious that she lied when she announced she was moving to Davenport in 2021. It's a little to late for that though.

Laura Belin's avatar

The whole thing is bizarre. It would have been so easy to follow Leonard Boswell's example. No one expected her to sell the house in Ottumwa or spend most of her time in Davenport.

thomas scherer's avatar

Thank you for sharing this reporting, Laura. Sarah did all of Iowa a favor by exposing this self-inflicted miss step. The why or how come portion is pretty straightforward in that Republicans in power now, have a different set of rules they are willing to enforce, or in this this example, willing to look the other way.

RE Herron's avatar

Definitely not shocked by this revelation. Great reporting, Laura, as always!! But 3M does as she wants, votes to suit her best interests, ignoring her constiuents interests, and has yet to suffer any consequences for those actions. I suspect this blatant disregard for playing by rules others (meaning democratic candidates) must abide will be no different in this cycle! She shall smile all the way back to DC, only to continue to need toilet tissue for her nose.

Dave Busiek's avatar

Another good one, Laura. Great job holding her feet to the fire.

Chris Siebrasse's avatar

My take: her role model being Trump, seeing how he gets away with murder, she, too, delights in extending a middle finger to norms and customs.

That’s for the little people.

Paul A. Brewer's avatar

I was going to hazard a guess, “Because lying and causing chaos is what all the cool Republicans are doing?”

Tory Brecht's avatar

Her alleged apartment in Davenport is literally 3 blocks from my house.

I have repeatedly invited her over for coffee or a cookout and get no response!

Matt Russell's avatar

I always appreciate Laura's writing. Another great take on a real situation. But this morning as I drink my coffee and listen to the voice over Laura often does, I'm celebrating the way that her voice overs truly add value to the column. They always do. But this one struck me as exceptional.

Laura Belin's avatar

Thank you! Substack doesn't tell us how many people are listening as opposed to reading. It's always good to know some people listen.

Matt Russell's avatar

I do both. If I can read I always do. But we often listen to our favorite posts as we're doing things around the house. So definitely both on my end. And if I'm going to listen to your posts, I usually do voice over rather than AI when I have a chance.

Kali White VanBaale's avatar

Great reporting, Laura. Unreal.

Mary C. McCarthy's avatar

Bet MMM got a deal on the Davenport Jersey Ridge apartment from Barker Family Property. If a Democrat pulled this carpetbagging, Jeff Kaufmann and minions would be screaming from one of those Davenport Cathedral spires.

Laura Belin's avatar

They claimed she was paying market rent for it. I've seen no evidence that she was not.

Blue Thoughts From a Red State's avatar

As we learned from her fast retreats, escaping into elevators, duck and runs away from reporters, elusive pop-up town hall meetings with non responses to questions; she’s earned her nickname as the “Pink Panther” of public officials. You usually only get to see her at a photo opportunity with Trump or the other members of our Congressional Gang of Four. Better hire a private detective or Inspector Clouseau to find out her next move.

Denise OBrien's avatar

Wow. Just wow. Either this is stupidity or audaciousness or she doesn’t want the job anymore and doesn’t know how to get out. Thank you Laura!

Lyle Muller's avatar

WTH? Not surprising. She doesn’t talk with the public, doesn’t live n Davenport anyway.

Steve Hanken's avatar

Am I wrong if Miller-Meeks did't vote in two consecutive elections doesn't she have to get re-registered? If I'm right, then someoe should raise hell when she does register outside her home because that is supposed to be where she lives. Wouldn't it be great knowing the Democratic challenger would't have anyone to challenge beyond those in the Democratic primary!

Laura Belin's avatar

Only if she missed two general elections in a row. She voted in November 2024 and I'm sure she will vote next year. Anyway even if she didn't vote and was removed from the rolls she could always re-register.

Steve Hanken's avatar

I thought even local elections counted as well, I guess I was wrong! This whole episode of not being from the Congressional District should have gotten more press. Even Harkin lived out of a post office box from what I heard, which of course sounds sketchy.

Jim Tripp's avatar

Thank goodness Jamie Raskin has changed his tune to "IMPEACH NOW, NOT AFTER MIDTERMS."

https://hjamesphd.substack.com/p/jamie-raskin-finally-flips-on-impeachment

Lora Coffman's avatar

I delight in all MMM’s botched easy things, except average Iowans pay the price. That said, she does this because it’s not illegal - it’s only a “bad look”. She doesn’t care one whit about the look, except to HAM (His Apricot Majesty, credit to LC Francis)

Do's avatar

very interesting. Immediately it came to my mind, and as I recall, how old Tom Harkin

(Bahama Tom as he was kind of known as) didn't live in Iowa, finally bought a piece of property south of D.M. and held an annual picnic. And, as I recall, he had a rented place in D.C. but the home he owned and spent lot of time there was in Bahamas where I presume he resides now. Now I realize that ol' tom's home situation wasn't same as MMM but like I said it came to my mind. Let it be said I could be wrong.