Update 8/14/24 10:20pm: Clarified the role of David Leroy in the LD11 GOP’s letter to the Attorney General. He offered unofficial advice, not formal legal services.
Last Friday, the Gem State Chronicle and the Idaho Dispatch reported that Republican House candidate Kent Marmon filed a complaint with the Secretary of State’s office over an alleged violation of campaign law by Idaho Democrats. Toni Ferro won the Democratic primary for Senate in district 11, while Anthony Porto won the primary for House seat A. Both were unopposed. On June 18, both candidates withdrew, and the District 11 Democratic Central Committee appointed each to fill the other’s vacancy.
That appears to be illegal according to Idaho Code, but according to Marmon the SoS office told him they would not penalize the candidates, as it was an employee of that office who gave the go-ahead to the LD11 Democrats. According to Marmon, a representative of the office proposed to revert the switch, putting Ferro back into the Senate race and Porto back into House seat A.
As of this writing, the candidate list does not show the switch having been undone.
Yesterday, Republican precinct committeewoman Heidi Smith sent a letter to Attorney General Raúl Labrador calling for a full investigation into the matter. The Idaho Dispatch reached out to the Secretary of State himself who said he was conferring with the Attorney General and would announce a remedy soon.
This morning, Kent Marmon informed the Chronicle that the District 11 Republicans consulted with attorney and former attorney general David Leroy. Afterward, district 11 chairman Greg Stuck have drafted a letter to the Secretary of State requesting all communications and forms involved in the candidate switch and calling attention to the alleged violation of the law.
As of this writing we are not aware of any public comments by Ferro, Porto, or anyone affiliated with the Idaho Democratic Party.
About Brian Almon
Brian Almon is the Editor of the Gem State Chronicle. He also serves as Chairman of the District 14 Republican Party and is a trustee of the Eagle Public Library Board. He lives with his wife and five children in Eagle.
