A central Iowa lawyer, with his license already suspended for misconduct, has been publicly reprimanded for telling a woman’s friends and associates she was a “swinger” while detailing for them her alleged sexual activities.
The Iowa Attorney Disciplinary Board alleges that attorney David Leitner of Johnston violated the Iowa Rules of Professional Conduct by sending out a letter in which he levied the accusations against a woman who had dated one of his clients for about a year.
After the woman ended the relationship, Leitner allegedly sent a letter, on his law office letterhead, to the woman and 13 other individuals, some of whom were the woman’s friends, relatives or acquaintances.
The letter began, “As you well know, (the woman) was in a relationship with (Leitner’s client). Recently it has come to our attention that (she) has been spreading mistruths about my client and false allegations, therefore we are going to set the record straight one time, in the hope this ceases or we will all be subject to litigation very soon.”
According to the board, the letter went on to allege the woman was a “swinger” and it provided details related to the woman’s alleged “sexual exploits and infidelity.” The letter also alleged the woman attempted to engage Leitner’s client in a sex act in May 2023 and that she had a consensual sexual encounter with the client in July 2023.
Less than a week after sending the letter, Leitner filed two civil lawsuits against the woman on behalf of his client, alleging defamation.
In deciding to publicly reprimand Leitner, the board said that regardless of the truth of his letter, Leitner’s decision to send it to the woman’s associates violated the Iowa Rule of Professional Conduct for lawyers.
