MUSCATINE, Iowa — A Mechanicsville woman charged with attempting to extort $1 million from Muscatine-based Iowans for Tax Relief made her initial court appearance Tuesday at the Muscatine County Courthouse.

Mary Kathryn Moravek, 51, was appointed an attorney, Gary Koos of Betten-dorf, and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at

9 a.m. Monday, Dec. 8.

She posted a $5,000 surety bond after her arrest on Nov. 2, and was released from the Muscatine County Jail.

Moravek has accused Cloyd “Robbie” Robinson of Cedar Rapids, who was a lobbyist for the taxpayers’ group, of illegal campaign contributions. She was arrested after meeting in the parking lot of the Muscatine Holiday Inn with Iowans for Tax Relief Vice Chairman Robert Solt and an undercover sheriff’s deputy. She thought they were delivering a $30,000 payment from Dave Stanley of Iowans for Tax Relief in exchange for her keeping silent about her accusations against Robinson, according to authorities.

Moravek claims she has witnessed illegal campaign contributions being made by at least one Iowans for Tax Relief employee over a period of at least five years. She said she was “set up” by the group — with the help of law enforcement — to prevent her from filing a formal complaint that the organization made illegal campaign contributions.

— Melissa Regennitter of the Muscatine Journal