March 14, 2020

To Whom it May Concern:

My name is Samantha Kuhn and I am a friend and associate of Ed Fallon. I am writing this letter in support of Ed and his character. For the past year-and-a half, I have worked very closely with Ed, and at no time did I feel the slightest bit threatened by him, and certainly not in a sexual manner. He is a supportive, helpful man who is respectful of the women around him.

I first met Ed through a mutual friend right before I moved to Des Moines. He invited me to the First Nation-Farmer Unity March that took place in September 2018. It was a 94-mile, week-long march from Des Moines to Fort Dodge, with 20-30 people marching any given day and all of us sleeping in tents or churches each night. Ed was a fun leader and I learned a lot from him that week. I also saw him with the other members of the march, male and female, and he didn’t treat any of us differently.

When I moved to Des Moines, I got more involved in Ed’s non-profit, Bold Iowa, going to primary events with Ed and others. I kept going to these events so much that Ed asked if I could help out in other ways (contacting “bird dog” volunteers for events, helping post pictures on the organizations website, etc.) and volunteer at Bold Iowa during office hours twice a week. Bold Iowa’s office was Ed’s home and I spent more than six months going over there twice a week, working at the dining room table, making plans with Ed and others over lunch. He was always friendly, respectful and had a good sense of humor. I saw him at least 3-4 times a week during those months, for hours at a time, in all sorts of venues. I was always comfortable around him and I never saw him treat any woman, even one he was having a political argument with, with anything less than respect.

To me, Ed is like an activist uncle who encourages you to stand up for your beliefs, take chances when necessary for those beliefs and will help you out if you are in need. As for those rumors, Ed Fallon treats women as equals and has a very healthy respect for their personal space and feelings. I have been around sexual predators before. I’ve seen their behavior, I have a finely attuned internal warning system and at no point has Ed set-off my “creeper” warning. That he is in this situation has me completely baffled.

Furthermore, I certify under penalty of perjury and pursuant to the laws of the state of Iowa that the preceding is true and correct.

Samantha Kuhn