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Dec. 18, 2019Iowa City, Iowa |  By: AP

Lawsuit: Iowa illegally marked up liquor prices for years

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - The former top accountant for the state agency that oversees Iowa alcohol sales claims in a new lawsuit that it marked up the price of liquor products illegally and excessively for years.

Todd Halbur, former comptroller of the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, alleges in the lawsuit that he was fired last year after questioning the illegal price markups and payments made under an improper no-bid contract.

Halbur's lawyer, Stuart Higgins, says his client is a "dedicated public servant'' who was improperly fired for blowing the whistle. Division spokesman Tyler Ackerson says the allegations in the lawsuit are "untrue,'' but declined further comment, citing the pending litigation.