The Truth About Bryan Smith: What Idaho Republicans Deserve to Know
News release from Party Watch
Dear Fellow Republicans,
We hope this letter finds you well, and not scratching your heads in disbelief at the latest antics of one of our leaders. Unfortunately, we're here to bring you an update on the ongoing saga of Bryan Smith, our National Committeeman for the Idaho Republican Party, who is currently in court attempting to defend himself, errrr the Republican Party.
As of 9:45 AM this morning, Bryan Smith is in a Bingham County courtroom, potentially digging himself an even deeper hole—one that may involve perjury, conspiracy, and a whole lot of questions about whose interests he’s actually representing. Spoiler alert: it’s not looking great for Bryan.
What’s Going On?
Let’s recap: On March 3, 2025, Bryan Smith filed a declaration where he adamantly claims he never said his 250 hours of legal work were pro bono or donated. That’s right—he’s doubling down and saying, “Donated? Never said it. Never did it.”
Let’s not forget that Bryan Smith filed a declaration in court on January 27th, claiming he was attaching “true and correct copies” of billing invoices for the IDGOP. Those invoices conveniently listed the GOP’s address on them, as though they had actually been sent. So, were the invoices real, or is this just another chapter in the saga of Bryan Smith’s creative storytelling?
But here’s the kicker: we have recordings, emails, and public statements that suggest otherwise.
For example, at the Idaho GOP Winter Meeting, Bryan himself said:
"I spent a little more than 250 hours of MY time defending the state of Idaho. I got to work closely with Chairwoman Moon, and that was a great experience for me."
Sounds like a donation, right? Well, it gets better. Idaho GOP Treasurer Steve Bender publicly chimed in at the end of his treasurer’s report and said:
"Bryan mentioned he spent 250 hours of his time defending that lawsuit; that was a donation to the party. He is not billing us for his time. That’s part of the reason why our books are as good as they are—we don’t have to pay a 250-hour lawyer bill."
And yet, now Bryan says, “Nope, not donated, not pro bono.” If that’s true, then the Idaho Republican Party should have disclosed these fees as paid expenses, or a loan. Guess what? None of that happened.
So, the question is: Is Bryan Smith defending the Republican Party—or just himself? And if he’s pulling the rest of the IDGOP leadership down with him, is it time to start asking some tough questions?
The Bender Twist
On February 7, Steve Bender accidentally hit "reply" instead of "forward" to a Party Watch email, sending a message intended for Dorothy Moon, Bryan Smith, and Mark Fuller to Party Watch instead. Oops. In his email, Bender admitted what we already knew: Bryan’s time had been donated, and the IDGOP had never received any invoices for his legal work. This is a bit awkward, considering Bryan had already filed his January 27th declaration before that date claiming he’d attached copies of invoices he supposedly sent. It seems Bender is once again bending the truth—or maybe he just didn’t get the memo about those “mystery invoices.” Curious, isn’t it?
Simultaneous Complaints Filed
While Bryan is busy in court this morning, several formal complaints and requests for investigations were submitted to hold him accountable:
To the Bingham County Prosecutor, Sheriff, and Idaho State Police:
A complaint was filed urging a criminal investigation into perjury, conspiracy, and whether Bryan Smith pressured Steve Bender to submit a false declaration under oath.
A complaint was filed asking for an investigation into whether Bryan violated the Idaho Rules of Professional Conduct, including making false statements, engaging in dishonesty, and putting his own interests above those of his client (the Idaho GOP).
To the Idaho Secretary of State:
A complaint was filed regarding potential violations of Idaho’s campaign finance laws. Bryan’s legal services weren’t disclosed as an expense, or a loan.—so where do they fit?
In short, we’re shining a big, bright spotlight on this mess from every angle possible.
Listen and Judge for Yourself
Now, here’s where you come in. We’ve attached a 30-second snippet of the end of Steve Bender’s treasurer report from the Idaho GOP Winter Meeting. Listen carefully, because in this clip, Bender clearly states:
"Bryan mentioned he spent 250 hours of his time defending that lawsuit; that was a donation to the party. He is not billing us for his time. That’s part of the reason why our books are as good as they are—we don’t have to pay a 250-hour lawyer bill."
It doesn’t get much clearer than that. After you listen, CAST YOUR VOTE!
Let’s see where Idaho Republicans stand on this one!
Why This Matters
This isn’t just about legal technicalities or who said what. This is about the integrity of the Idaho Republican Party and whether our leadership is acting in the best interests of the party—or just trying to cover their own tracks.
Bryan Smith’s actions raise serious questions:
If his time wasn’t donated, why wasn’t it disclosed as an expense, or a loan?
Did he pressure Steve Bender to submit a false declaration just to back him up?
Is he dragging the rest of the IDGOP leadership into this mess?
The bottom line is that Idaho Republicans deserve honesty, transparency, and accountability from their leaders. This case is far from over, but you deserve updates every step of the way.
What’s Next?
As Bryan Smith continues to defend himself in court this morning, we’ll be watching closely to see how this all unfolds. But one thing is certain: it’s time for Idaho Republicans to demand better.
Sincerely,
Party Watch
All supporting documents can be found here
Disclaimer
This article is a news release from Party Watch. Gregory Graf and Political Potatoes are not involved or responsible for creating this well-researched and important content.
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