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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Hagadone gave openly to school overhaul campaign, then took it back and gave secretly

Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) ― Amid a campaign secrecy dustup, millionaire Idaho businessman Duane Hagadone took back money from a group that was reporting it publicly and gave it to another that fought to keep its donors hidden. On Aug. 6, Hagadone gave $15,000 to Yes for Education, a political action committee campaigning to preserve public schools chief Tom Luna's education overhaul at the ballot box Nov. 6. On Aug. 14, the PAC returned Hagadone's $15,000, according to records filed with the Idaho secretary of state's office. Weeks later, on Sept. 24, he gave $15,000 to Education Voters of Idaho, a group that sought to keep its contributors secret but was forced by a judge Wednesday to reveal financiers, including Hagadone. Hagadone didn't immediately return an e-mail on Thursday seeking comment on his campaign spending.

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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