Ex-Chenoweth Aide Says Firing Violated Her Rights
The regional director of United We Stand America contends in a lawsuit that U.S. Rep. Helen Chenoweth violated state and federal civil rights laws by firing her last year.
Civil lawsuits also were filed Monday in 2nd District Court on behalf of Cheryl Holst of Lewiston against former Nez Perce County Republican Party chairman Craig Bruns, former Nez Perce County GOP treasurer Gus Pomeroy and Chenoweth supporter Betty McGregor.
The suits accuse the three of persuading Chenoweth to fire Holst from her job as the Idaho congresswoman’s Lewiston aide.
Lewiston lawyer William Fitzgerald filed the suits for Holst. His wife, Debbie Fitzgerald, was Democratic Congressman Larry LaRocco’s Lewiston aide before Chenoweth ousted LaRocco in November 1994.
But Chenoweth indicated on Tuesday that there is really no basis for the claim since Holst never officially worked for her.
In her suit, Holst contends she was fired without just cause and replaced by Scott Carlton, a former vice chairman of the Nez Perce County Republican Party.
The complaint alleges she worked as Chenoweth’s Lewiston staff assistant between Jan. 27 and Feb. 1, 1995, after Chenoweth’s then-chief of staff, Brent DeArmond, hired her over other applicants, including Carlton.
DeArmond informed her she was fired at Chenoweth’s direction, according to the lawsuit, and that Chenoweth had promised McGregor, Pomeroy and Bruns before the election that she would hire Carlton for the Lewiston job.
Holst’s lawsuits seek attorney fees and costs, damages, loss of earnings and other benefits to be determined at trial.
Holst said last year that she believed she was fired because some Nez Perce County Republicans did not like her activity with United We Stand America.
Bruns has said Holst was fired because he failed to communicate adequately with Chenoweth, who already had talked with Carlton about the Lewiston job. But Carlton has maintained he had no previous discussions with Chenoweth about being her Lewiston aide.