Bonneville GOP gives away most of its money during closed-door meeting, two days before transfer of power

AMMON — During a closed-door gathering Tuesday, nan outgoing Bonneville County Republican Central Committee (BCRCC) voted to each but quiet its slope account, donating astir $55,786 to nan Idaho State Republican Party and leaving nan incoming, recently elected GOP precinct committee officers pinch $100.

An EastIdahoNews.com newsman was asked to time off nan gathering arsenic nan media was not allowed to be but was invited to question and reply participants afterward.

The party’s determination came 1 week aft a landslide predetermination successful which Bonneville County voters elected 38 precinct committee officers (PCOs) from nan “Empower Bonneville Voters” conjugation to office.

A important election

In nan primary, “the effort to switch nan existent activity and drivers down nan Bonneville County Republican Central Committee was successful,” said Steve Taggart, newly-elected PCO for Precinct 19. “We took 38 of 50 precinct offices. On (May) 30, location will beryllium an organizing gathering to take officers, and we decidedly sewage nan precocious hand.”

Seventy-six percent of nan PCO races were won by conjugation candidates, representing a important displacement successful powerfulness successful nan activity and constitution of nan Bonneville County Republican Central Committee.

“For nan statement organization itself and precinct officers, location was rather a spot of turnover there,” BCRCC Chairman Nick Contos said. “So there’s going to beryllium immoderate caller group connected nan Central Committee.”

In nan superior predetermination for PCO successful Precinct 37, Contos mislaid to Maria Hatch. Hatch received 256 votes (76.65%) to Contos’ 78 (23.35%).

Legislative District 33 Chairwoman Jilene Burger besides mislaid her precinct committee serviceman position to challenger Rodd Rapp. Burger had overseen nan Article XX hearings, which censured authorities legislators Rep. Marco Erickson and Sen. Dave Lent successful January. Rapp received 119 votes (60.41%) to Burger’s 78 (39.59%).

The BCRCC activity squad is known arsenic nan Executive Committee and consists of 13 leaders who are elected by nan PCOs.

Current Executive Committee members see Contos, First Vice Chair Diane Jensen, Second Vice Chair Kurt Papke, Third Vice Chair Bryan Zollinger, Fourth Vice Chair Ben Marsden, Treasurer Barbara Miller, Secretary Heidi Hebdon, Legislative District 32 Chair Doyle Beck, Burger, Legislative District 35 Chair Doug Toomer, State Committeeman Anthony Torino, State Committeewoman Lisa Keller and Youth Committeeperson Jonathan Cook. They whitethorn aliases whitethorn not beryllium re-elected to nan executive committee, depending connected nan caller precinct committee officers’ votes connected Thursday night.

“Mr. (Doyle) Beck is, you know, not going to beryllium capable to beryllium re-elected arsenic nan president for nan different district. So there’s important alteration coming,” Taggart said. “We dream it continues to nan authorities Republican normal and nan elimination of Dorothy Moon (as Idaho GOP Chairwoman).”

The section “Empower Bonneville Voters” conjugation received financial assistance from Gem State Conservatives for signs and run literature, but nan 2 groups are independent.

“Gem State Conservatives don’t speak for us, and we surely don’t speak for them,” said Michael Colson, Precinct 26 committee serviceman and organizer of nan Empower Bonneville Voters coalition.

Gem State Conservatives is simply a statewide campaign, tally by erstwhile Idaho GOP Chairmen Trent Clark and Tom Luna, composed of Republican candidates seeking to return backmost power of nan Idaho GOP from further-right conservatives for illustration Moon.

Emptying nan account

The typical gathering Tuesday was organized by nan existent Bonneville County GOP Executive Committee successful consequence to these results — 2 days earlier nan caller precinct committee officers will meet to elite caller activity for nan Bonneville County GOP connected Thursday. Voting committee members met astatine Skidmore Construction successful Ammon.

Diane Jensen, nan BCRCC first vice-chairwoman, gave nan committee’s rationale for transferring its money to authorities statement control.

“We person been moving arsenic a cardinal committee very difficult for nan past 2 years to raise these funds, and we cognize that we person a large conflict against ranked-choice voting and unfastened primaries coming up, and nan authorities has a bully scheme to conflict that,” Jensen said. “We wanted to springiness them nan support that they needed.”

Twenty 1000 dollars of nan costs will beryllium utilized to sponsor a delegate luncheon astatine nan upcoming Republican State Convention successful Coeur d’Alene from June 13 to 15. The remaining $35,786 is earmarked to nan Idaho GOP for defeating nan unfastened primaries and classed prime voting ballot measure.

Approval for nan expenditure passed connected a 29-22 vote.

“I deliberation nan ballot coming conscionable benignant of reiterated Bonneville County’s committedness to nan Republican platform,” said Bonneville County Republican Communications Committee Co-Chairwoman Kelly Golden. “I deliberation that’s benignant of wherever we’re astatine pinch that — anybody that wants to align pinch nan platform, we want to nexus arms pinch and tally with.”

The section highlights nan quality betwixt nan “platform conservative” and “mainstream conservative” labels that nan 2 groups printed connected run lit to differentiate themselves anterior to nan election.

Others said moving nan costs was made “in bad faith” and was aimed astatine nan incoming precinct committee officers and nan conjugation they represent.

“There will beryllium a bunch of folks not happy that they emptied nan account, and they ain it. That was their choice,” Bonneville County Commissioner and Precinct 55 Committee Officer Jon Walker said. “They wanted to do their champion to each but bankrupt nan (local) Republican party. They near america $100. That’s benevolent of them — not capable to support nan lights on, by their ain statement.”

But nan caller conjugation of PCOs is committed to make nan astir of an undesirable financial position.

“I deliberation it’s really going to do a bully point for us,” Colson said. “I deliberation it’s going to bring our group person together. … The behaviour really speaks for itself, and I deliberation it affirms nan truth that voters made nan correct prime successful nan past election. They want competent Republicans successful office. They want group that are going to beryllium capable to spot nan large image and not conscionable play these small governmental powerfulness games.

“We’re going to show them really we tin beryllium effective, pinch aliases without their help. I dream it’s pinch their help, but yet that’s going to beryllium up to those 12 (non-coalition PCOs) that are going to travel subordinate america successful this journey.”

‘No much purity panels’

Moving forward, nan existent activity of nan Bonneville County GOP and nan caller defender taking nan reins Thursday some opportunity that they are consenting to activity pinch each different but proceed to coming differing visions for nan Republican party.

In a connection Golden provided Tuesday, she and chap BCRCC Communications Co-Chairman Christopher Cook wrote, “We unrecorded successful a governmental ambiance that seeks to disagreement and marginalize, but moreover pinch our differences, we are agreed nether nan communal banner of nan Idaho Republican platform. We look guardant to joining pinch recently elected volunteers to beforehand nan blimpish principles of nan statement arsenic we look nan challenges of our clip pinch uncompromising grace and fortitude.

”This predetermination play has been filled pinch divisive tactics, and it is clip to heal. This infinitesimal successful Idaho and successful our federation leaves nary room for individual discourtesy aliases petty infighting.”

Contos said that galore of nan recently elected PCOs will acquisition a learning curve.

“To effort and shape statement and beryllium effective and execute things by mostly ballot amongst a group of group who are passionate and progressive successful authorities is simply a large challenge,” he said. “It’s difficult work.”

Taggart emphasized that nan caller precinct committee officers scheme to “change nan spirit and nan nature” of nan section Republican Party.

“So nan changeover is going to beryllium that you’re going to spot a Bonneville County Republican Party that is geared towards bringing group into nan party, alternatively than driving them out,” Taggart said. “No much purity panels. No more, you know, enemies of nan day. The attraction is going to beryllium connected strengthening Republican policies, Republican principles and Republican officeholders successful Bonneville County and trying to propulsion much group successful — from young to aged — whether they’re newcomers aliases person been present for a while.”

Colson emphasized that nan caller Bonneville GOP will beryllium down pinch elected officials, perceive to and activity pinch them.

“The Republican Party is simply a large tent. We want to induce group in,” said Sen. Kevin Cook, R-Idaho Falls.