Prosecutor Won’t File Charges Following Pipeline-for-Prostitutes Allegations

A Lee County prosecutor has decided not to file charges over allegations that a land agent offered to hire a prostitute for a landowner if he would allow an oil pipeline company access to his land.

Lee County Attorney Mike Short told The Des Moines Register on Monday there wasn’t enough evidence to prosecute. He says it’s likely the landowner, Hughie Tweedy of Montrose, set up a meeting with the agent in order to embarrass the pipeline company.

Tweedy said in May that he had a recording of a pipeline spokesperson offering him not once, but three times the services of an 18 year old prostitute in return for the land rights.

The proposed pipeline would carry 450,000 barrels daily from North Dakota production sites to a hub in Illinois. The company, Energy Transfer Partners, had said it was investigating the allegation about the agent, who the company said was working for a contractor.

The Iowa Utilities Board is scheduled to begin pipeline hearings on Nov. 12.

(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)