Starr: State Wrong Re: Fund-raising

In a letter to City Clerk Susan Weathers Wednesday, attorney Starr Kelso (pictured) said that the Secretary of State’s office is wrong when it says that any fund-raising to aid Jim Brannon’s election challenge is subject to campaign finance laws. Kelso was responding to a letter from Timothy A. Hurst, chief deputy of the Secretary of State’s office. Hurst had written to City Attorney Mike Gridley in response to this question: “Are expenditures by a candidate incurred as part of a post-eletion lawsuit challenging or upholding the election results valid campaign expenditures under Idaho Code title 67, Chapter 66.” Hurst answered in a word “yes.” And then elaborated (Hurst letter here) . Brannon attorney Kelso responded to a letter from Weathers (Weathers letter here) referencing the Secretary of State’s opinion by saying: “Mr. Hurst’s reasoning and his conclusions contained in his undated letter are simply wrong.” ( Kelso letter here ). (Also: Weathers February letters to Jim Doty on same subject here.)

Question: Which side to you trust more re: the interpretation of campaign finance requirements in this instance — Chief Deputy Timothy Hurst or Brannon attorney Starr Kelso?