An Iowa state senator says newly-released documents show some of the “hush money” paid to fired state workers came from a fund marked for “utilities” in one state agency’s budget. Senator Janet Petersen, a Democrat from Des Moines, is co-chair of the Legislature’s Oversight Committee.

The Department of Administrative Services has revealed the cash for another confidential settlement with a fired state worker came from an energy program. Petersen says she’s heard from fired workers who contend they were fired because they were whistleblowers.

Four fired state employees will testify before the Legislature’s Oversight Committee on Wednesday. On Thursday, top managers from the Department of Administrative Services will testify before the committee. Governor Terry Branstad last week issued an executive order which bars secret settlements with fired state workers in the future. On Monday Branstad told reporters the money for the confidential settlements paid out by the Department of Administrative Services came from the savings of reorganizing and downsizing the agency.