KCRCC to settle defamation suit against Committeeman Dan Gookin

The Kootenai County Republican Central Committee has reached a settlement agreement in a defamation lawsuit against one of its precinct committeemen, Chairman Brent Regan announced at the party’s monthly meeting Tuesday night.

Committeeman Dan Gookin’s insurance company, State Farm, will pay the committee $25,000.

The KCRCC filed the suit against Gookin in Kootenai County District Court in October 2023, alleging Gookin defamed the KCRCC by claiming it committed criminal acts.

“His recent statements have crossed the line from protected speech into unprotected defamation because they accuse KCRCC of rigging its 2023 candidate ‘rating and vetting’ process, perpetrating a fraud on its members, and violating campaign finance laws – things which simply have not happened,” a KCRCC news release said when the suit was filed.

In an interview, Gookin said he told his insurance representatives that he did not agree with the decision and encouraged them to negotiate a lower amount. Ultimately, it was the insurance company’s decision based on projected costs of going to trial.

“I don’t have to apologize,” said Gookin, who is also a Coeur d’Alene city councilman.

Gookin said he was surprised to hear Regan announce the settlement at the meeting, because he has not signed the agreement , as he is waiting on his attorney to provide the paperwork.

The agreement was reached through pretrial mediation, Regan said.

“Basically, I did a bunch of mean tweets,” Gookin told The Spokesman-Review in November 2023, calling the suit “an election ploy” to distract from his campaign for re-election on the city council. His tweets were factual, he said.