Ethics committee to investigate Hart

Idaho House Speaker Lawerence Denney has appointed an ethics committee to investigate the conduct of Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol. Rep. Tom Loertscher, R-Iona, will head the seven-member panel. The committee likely will meet in August. The ethics complaint against Hart charges a possible conflict of interest due to Hart’s service on the House Revenue and Taxation Committee while fighting his own back state and federal income taxes, and possible abuse of legislative privilege for Hart’s invoking the privilege to seek repeated delays in his personal tax cases.