DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa lawmaker is accusing the administration of Gov. Kim Reynolds and the director of the state’s human resources agency of “fostering a culture of secrecy in state government” for refusing to release information on the number of sexual harassment cases filed within state agencies in recent years.

Democratic Rep. Amy Nielsen said she’s received a bureaucratic runaround in her attempts to get data on the number of cases from Department of Administrative Services Director Janet Phipps. Nielsen said taxpayers have paid out more than $7.5 million in settlements in the past two years and deserve to know if there are other cases that could cost even more.

Nielsen wants to know the number of cases so they can be compared to future years to determine whether the state is improving its sexual harassment record. Nielsen sought the number of sexual harassment complaints under investigation, the number of cases closed in the last five fiscal years and the number of cases initiated.

She said DAS refused to provide the information, citing confidentiality, and the attorney general’s office told her to seek the data from the Legislative Services Agency, a nonpartisan state agency that provides the legislature research and data information to lawmakers.

The LSA, however, told Nielsen that even though DAS provided the information, the agency requested it not to be released to her. A Jan. 25 letter from Phipps to the Legislative Services Agency indicates even the general numbers she seeks are confidential. Nielsen said what she seeks is not traceable to any individual and should not be confidential, and she called Phipps’ decision not to turn over the information “beyond disappointing.” Nielsen filed a complaint Wednesday with the Iowa Public Information Board.