Iowa Senate candidate Braley threatened lawsuit over chicken in his yard

Iowa Rep. Bruce Braley. (AP)

Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, threatened to sue a homeowners’ association after a chicken crossed onto his vacation home property in Iowa, again raising concerns that the Senate candidate is out-of-touch with farmers in the state, the Iowa Republican reports.

The dispute started this spring after one of his neighbor’s chickens appeared on his vacation property in Holiday Lake, Iowa:

"Braley’s wife Carolyn attended a May 8 meeting of the Holiday Lake Owner’s Association to complain about the fowl. The dispute escalated, causing the association to incur nearly $1,700 in legal fees after Braley called the association’s attorney with an implied threat of legal action.

'It’s stupid that it went this far. Any reasonable person would have talked to their neighbor in a reasonable fashion instead,' said Bill Nagle, an association board member. 'For being brought up on a farm, he sure has lost his rural, farm values.'"

Pauline Hampton—Braley’s neighbor, a licensed therapist, and a U.S. Air Force veteran—is a registered Democrat. She reportedly used her four chickens to work with children who have mental health and communication problems.

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