Panhandle Lawmakers Are Fined Jeff Alltus, Two Others Broke Campaign Finance Laws

Rep. Jeff Alltus is being fined $200 for violating campaign finance laws, while two other Panhandle lawmakers are facing smaller fines.

The three are on a list of 24 legislative candidates and three initiative committees who failed to report large last-minute campaign contributions before last November’s election. Such contributions are required by law to be reported in writing within 48 hours.

Alltus, R-Hayden, failed to report a $1,000 contribution from Kootenai County Republicans on Oct. 21 and a $5,000 donation from the National Republican Congressional Committee on Oct. 23.

“I’m guilty,” Alltus said. “I would’ve complied if I’d known.”

Alltus said he’s all for disclosure but he has some doubts about whether the last-minute reporting requirement is worthwhile. “I’ve never seen anyone make those figures public, so I have to say, ‘What good does it do?”’ he said.

“My distaste for this one part of it is not because I got caught or anything. I guess I want to see that it does something.”

Rep. Wayne Meyer, R-Rathdrum, faces a $100 fine for failing to report a $5,000 contribution from the National Republican Congressional Committee on Oct. 24.

Meyer said a series of slip-ups led to his violation. “It’s my fault, and I have no problem paying the fine,” he said. “I deserve to be fined. I didn’t play by the rules.”

Meyer said that during his first campaign, he never received a large last-minute contribution, so the situation was a first for him.

Sen. Jack Riggs, R-Coeur d’Alene, is facing a $50 fine for failing to report a Nov. 1 contribution of $4,688 from himself to his campaign.

Deputy Attorney General Bill von Tagen said the attorney general’s office decided to recommend lower fines for contributions from the candidate. “It didn’t appear to be quite the same,” von Tagen said.

The fines are civil penalties; by paying them, candidates settle the cases. Their alternative is to take the issues to court, where they could end up with fines of up to $250 per violation and possible misdemeanor charges if a violation is determined to have been willful.

Rep. Chuck Cuddy, D-Orofino, failed to report a $1,000 contribution from himself and faces a $50 fine.

Several unsuccessful candidates also face fines.

Former Sen. Tim Tucker, D-Porthill, faces a $100 fine for failing to report an Oct. 22 contribution of $1,000 from the Idaho Democratic Party.

Former Rep. Tom Dorr, R-Post Falls, faces a $100 fine for failing to report a $5,000 contribution on Oct. 28 from the Republican House Caucus Club.

Former District 7 candidate John Ferris faces $150 in fines for not reporting a $1,463 contribution from himself and a $7,000 NRCC donation.

Former District 7 candidate Homer Ferguson also failed to report an NRCC contribution, this one for $5,000, and faces a $100 fine.

Citizens for Term Limits didn’t report an Oct. 28 contribution of $20,000 from Utah Term Limits and another $9,000 contribution on the same date from Colorado Term Limits. The committee faces $200 in fines.

IdaProp PAC, the group backing the One Percent Initiative, failed to report a $1,000 contribution on Oct. 30 from David Thuleen and faces $100 in fines.

The Idaho Coalition United for Bears failed to report a $50,000 contribution on Oct. 25 from the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and faces a $100 fine.

, DataTimes