Luna repays lobbying firm for staffers’ luncheons at City Club forum

Idaho Statesman columnist Dan Popkey reports that state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna has reimbursed a lobbying firm that represents Apple and other clients for hosting his state staff for lunch during the City Club of Boise forum on Luna’s school reform laws this week; the laws include big state investments in laptop computers. Popkey reports that when he first asked Luna about having his staffers hosted at the lobbying firm’s table, Luna told him, “I didn’t know about that,” but said, “I don’t have a problem with it.” Later, Popkey reported, Luna’s spokeswoman, Melissa McGrath, emailed him to say Luna had repaid the firm out of his own pocket. “He does not believe there was any wrongdoing in his staff sitting at the Sullivan Reberger Eiguren table at City Club; however, he does not want even the appearance to be misunderstood,” McGrath wrote. You can read Popkey’s full post here .