he Idaho Attorney General’s office is investigating a publication called The People’s Pen after a North Idaho resident filed a campaign finance complaint alleging it is not a newspaper but an electioneering piece produced and paid for by the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee.
he Idaho Attorney General’s office is investigating a publication called The People’s Pen after a North Idaho resident filed a campaign finance complaint alleging it is not a newspaper but an electioneering piece produced and paid for by the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee.
The Idaho Attorney General’s office is investigating a publication called "The People’s Pen" after a North Idaho resident filed a campaign finance complaint alleging it is not a newspaper but an electioneering piece produced and paid for by the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee, writes Idaho Capital Sun reporter Kelcie Moseley-Morris.
Deputy Secretary of State Chad Houck said the secretary’s office is working alongside Attorney General Lawrence Wasden’s staff to determine whether the publication violated Idaho sunshine laws leading up to the May primary election.
According to the complaint, at least 70,000 Idahoans received a copy of the People’s Pen about a week before the primary election in May, the fifth issue of the publication. The pamphlet was composed of 24 pages of content, including several full-page ads of candidate endorsements and negative ads about non-endorsed candidates that include a “Paid for by the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee” disclaimer.
Past issues dating back to October 2021 included in-depth interviews with candidates endorsed by the central committee, committee members discussing the candidate vetting process for its endorsements, and endorsements for school board and city elections.
Under Idaho law, newspapers are exempt from what is considered electioneering communications or independent expenditures during elections, meaning a news outlet can publish editorials and endorsements or other commentary about candidates and the communications do not need to be reported to the secretary of state’s office. Electioneering communications are ads or other messages meant to support or oppose candidates that must be declared with the Idaho Secretary of State’s office within 30 days of a primary election.
However, a newspaper is not exempt, according to Idaho law, if it is owned or controlled by a political party or candidate.
Betsy Z. Russell is the Boise bureau chief and state capitol reporter for the Idaho Press and Adams Publishing Group. Follow her on Twitter at @BetsyZRussell.
