Rammell’s fine stands

BOISE – The Idaho Supreme Court has dealt another legal blow to Rex Rammell, a gubernatorial hopeful who was fined by the state five years ago when he operated a domestic elk farm and breeding ranch in eastern Idaho.

In a ruling issued Monday, the justices affirmed a lower court ruling upholding fines levied against Rammell by the state Department of Agriculture for one statutory violation and eight regulatory infractions discovered at his breeding ranch in 2004.

After the inspection, state officials cited Rammell for having gaps and holes in fencing, failing to submit annual reports and not filing proper paperwork before transporting live elk. He was also cited for not paying a statutory $5 per head fee for at least 140 domestic elk. The agency fined Rammell $29,000 for the violations.

Rammell has been challenging the case for years. A former veterinarian who last year ran for the U.S. Senate as an Independent, Rammell contended he was denied due process in the earliest phase of his case when an administrative judge barred him from presenting certain evidence.

But the justices rejected most of his contentions, refused to consider the merits of the department’s regulations and upheld the fine.