District 21 Republican Sues Republican Chair

Last year's District 21 Senate challenger and Republican district chairman, Steven Ricks, has filed a libel suit against Idaho State Republican Chairman Norm Semanko, in response to a letter Semanko sent out regarding a letter Ricks sent out as part of his campaign.

As described here last December, Ricks sent out a letter before May's primary that some people believe affected the results of the primary and caused the loss of one of the incumbent House representatives in our district. Ricks, as well as being the chair of the district, was also one of the primary challengers supported in the letter, which was sent out over the names of Republican precinct committeemen in the district. The letter -- which was identical regardless of the person who signed it -- noted that it was “gladly paid for” by the Ricks campaign. Ricks unsuccessfully ran against incumbent state Senator Russ Fulcher in the primary, losing by 149 votes.

"[T]he Idaho Republican Party has a long-standing policy of abstaining from endorsing candidates in the primary,” Semanko said in his September 17 letter. “Your actions caused some voters to believe the state party had taken the extraordinary step of rescinding this policy, which was not the case.”

According to an article on the lawsuit in the Idaho Statesman, Ricks seeks a jury trial and damages of more than $10,000, saying that Semanko exposed him to public contempt or ridicule by impugning his honesty, integrity or reputation. He also names the Idaho GOP State Central Committee as a defendant.

The lawsuit appears to center around a statement in Semanko's September letter to Ricks that the May letter from the Ricks campaign used the state GOP logo without authorization, saying it was trademarked. Ricks' lawsuit includes a certification by Idaho Secretary of State Ben Ysursa that the GOP logo is not trademarked in Idaho.

This also means, incidentally, that anyone else can apparently use the state GOP logo in any way they like.

District 21 Republican Chair Rebuked for Primary Letter

Idaho State Republican Chairman Norm Semanko has rebuked Steven Ricks, the Republican chair of District 21, for sending out a letter before May’s primary that some people believe affected the results of the primary and caused the loss of one of the incumbent House representatives in our district.

“Because this letter is so widely distributed, I fear it may fall into Democrat hands, who would use it against our Republican candidates in the General Election,” said Semanko’s letter—which was dated September 16 but was mailed to all voting residents of District 21 on December 16. “Hopefully, my fears will prove unfounded.”

Ricks, as well as being the chair of the district, was also one of the primary challengers supported in the letter, which was sent out over the names of Republican precinct committeemen in the district. The letter -- which was identical regardless of the person who signed it --  noted that it was “gladly paid for” by the Ricks campaign. Ricks unsuccessfully ran against incumbent state Senator Russ Fulcher.

Boise conservative Bryan Fischer blogged about the letter on May 29, blaming it for the loss of incumbent John Vander Woude in the primary to challenger Richard Jarvis. “In the last week of the primary campaign, a form letter, written on official party letterhead, was mailed widely in District 21, arriving in mailboxes on Wednesday or Thursday, and giving the distinct impression that the Republican Party had officially endorsed the challengers in those hotly contested races.”

“No less than three times the incumbents are smeared in this letter as members of the “good old boy” network and the reader is bludgeoned no less than nine times — nine! — with the phrase “special interests” to imply that it was the party’s official position that Fulcher, Bayer and Vander Woude are in the bag for powerful lobbyists,” Fischer went on to say.

“[T]he Idaho Republican Party has a long-standing policy of abstaining from endorsing candidates in the primary,” Semanko said in his September 17 letter. “Your actions caused some voters to believe the state party had taken the extraordinary step of rescinding this policy, which was not the case.”

Fischer also cited the letter as evidence that the Republican State Chairman at the time, Kirk Sullivan, should be deposed in favor of Semanko at the Republican state convention in June (which did indeed happen). “Sullivan’s failure to take decisive clarifying action likely cost John Vander Woude his seat in the legislature,” he said.

(First reported on the New West blog.)