Suit accuses county of playing politics

An attorney representing Kenneth Stone in a breach of contract suit claims Kootenai County officials, through their lawyer, have delayed proceedings to avoid political fallout. Stone, a former deputy prosecutor for the county who reached a settlement in a 2013 wrongful termination lawsuit against the county, is being represented by Kathlene Kolts in a case seeking attorney fees and damages because of a series of articles that ran in The Press uncovering details of the agreement. Those details, according to documents filed by Kolts, could only have been disclosed by county officials and their representatives, which constitutes a breach of the confidentiality agreement the county itself insisted on during mediation. And the matter, which Kolts said could have been settled shortly after the articles began running in April 2014, is still ongoing/ Keith Cousins , Coeur d’Alene Press. More here .