Taxpayers have spent roughly $1 million paying an outside law firm to defend the state in the case. In 2014, the court ruled that state officials can be ordered to personally pay damages if they break the law and were acting outside the scope of their employment. It is the second Iowa Supreme Court ruling that has gone Godfrey's way since he filed the lawsuit 5 ½ years ago. The court's majority held that damage claims can be brought under the state constitution if state law doesn't otherwise provide an adequate remedy for the alleged violation. The case had been closely watched by government agencies at all levels in Iowa that had urged the court not to open the door to such litigation. The ruling marks the first time the court has allowed citizens to file lawsuits seeking monetary damages against government officials for alleged violations of rights protected under the Iowa Constitution. The court said it wasn't taking a position on the merits of Godfrey's claims, which will head to trial along with his allegations that the defendants violated the Iowa Civil Rights Act by discriminating against him on the basis of sexual orientation. In a 4-3 decision, the court ruled that former Iowa Workers' Compensation Commissioner Chris Godfrey can bring claims alleging that his property and liberty interests were "violated by the partisan motivation" of Branstad, Gov.
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