IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A consulting firm is moving to dismiss a lawsuit that argued that bids for Iowa government contracts could be entirely withheld from the public.
The move by McKinsey & Co. should avoid a trial Monday in which state lawyers were to argue in favor of disclosure.
McKinsey sought an injunction to block the release after a reporter and a competitor sought copies of bids it made for Iowa Board of Regents consulting work. The company argued the bids were confidential trade secrets.
The contracts went to other consultants who are reviewing Iowa’s three public universities. In Friday’s motion, McKinsey says the requesters are no longer seeking the documents and therefore the dispute’s moot.
An assistant attorney general argued Monday the public has a right to know how bids were evaluated.
