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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Fed IEN investigation includes gag order; state could be on hook for $1M in Syringa’s attorney fees

The Idaho Falls Post Register reports today that a gag order has been imposed on an array of state officials as part of the federal Department of Justice investigation into the illegally issued contract for the Idaho Education Network. You can read the full story here from Post Register reporter Bryan Clark.

Clark writes that IEN spokeswoman Camille Wells told the paper last week that the Idaho Department of Administration is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Communications Commission and the federal contractor that oversees the e-rate program. That program provided millions of federal dollars to fund the network. “We are at liberty to disclose that there is an ongoing investigation by the DOJ, FCC and USAC relating to the E-rate funds,” Wells told the Post Register. She also said DOJ investigators had asked to speak to former Department of Administration employees.

Clark also reports that Syringa recently filed its request to be awarded legal fees and expenses in its successful lawsuit against the state Department of Administration. The total bill came to just under $1 million.



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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