The Circus in Ada County: A Party Watch Update

News release from Party Watch

Hey Party Watch Fans,

The Ada County Republican Central Committee (ACRCC) continues to deliver what can only be described as a never-ending soap opera. It’s like tuning into a bad reality show, only this one involves the people who are supposed to be leading one of the most important Republican strongholds in Idaho. Buckle up, because we’ve got a lot to unpack.

Thad Butterworth’s “Gotcha Moment” ...... Wasn’t

Last month, ACRCC Chairman Thad Butterworth put on an elaborate presentation he thought would expose Party Watch. Spoiler alert: it didn’t. Instead, it was a weak attempt to deflect from his own problems—like the massive financial judgment recently ordered against him.

Here’s the thing: when someone is in a leadership role responsible for managing other people’s money, their financial integrity matters. If Thad has a massive judgment he’s struggling to pay off, it’s fair to ask how this might impact his ability to responsibly handle Republican donations. Thad, maybe focus less on “gotchas” and more on cleaning up your own mess.

Ryan Spoon's 13 Minute Disaster:

Not to be outdone, ACRCC 2nd Vice Chair Ryan Spoon decided to put on his own “gotcha” presentation this month. It was thirteen minutes of lies, defamatory statements, and manipulated information masquerading as a “training” session for precinct committee members.

One highlight of Ryan’s tirade? He proudly detailed how he tried to turn Republican legislator Stephanie Mickelsen’s businesses over to ICE for a raid. Let’s set the record straight: Stephanie Mickelsen is a pragmatic and intelligent businesswoman who acknowledged a reality on the House floor last year—that every industry has been touched by undocumented workers at some point. Her business legally hired an employee with an I-9, and she still cast a conservative vote on the bill in question. Ryan’s smear campaign is nothing more than a desperate attempt to gain attention.

PCs Walk Out and Confront Chaos

Ryan Spoon’s embarrassing presentation was too much for several Ada County Precinct Committee members, who walked out in disgust. One PC summed it up perfectly: “Who needs enemies when you have friends like this?”

Here’s what they reported:

- The first hour of the April 3rd meeting was filled with attacks on Republicans who don’t align with the ACRCC executive committee’s extreme views.

- When some PCs left early, they were confronted in the courthouse lobby by none other than District 19 Legislative Chair Lynn Bradescu, who hurled profanities and insults, calling them “a**holes” and “pieces of s**t.”

-The courthouse police had to step in to physically separate Lynn from those she was harassing.

Let’s not forget Lynn’s troubling alliances. She openly supported non-Republican candidate Doug Traubel, an independent Ada county sheriff candidate, who blamed Jewish people for the Holocaust. Yet somehow, Lynn still holds a leadership position in the ACRCC. Are these the kinds of people we want representing our party?

The Lincoln Day Drama: Expulsions, Double Standards, and Leadership Failures

The Ada County Lincoln Day Dinner should be a unifying Republican tradition. Instead, the Ada County Republican Central Committee (ACRCC) has turned it into another battleground of petty infighting and procedural violations.

On February 27, 2025, during an ACRCC Executive Board meeting, two voting members were improperly removed under the false pretense of a “conflict of interest” for attending a Lincoln Birthday Celebration—a completely unrelated, nonpartisan event. According to Legislative District 16 Chair Graham Paterson’s formal complaint to IDGOP Chair Dorothy Moon, this action violated multiple rules:

A little side note here, Lynn Bradescu, (along with Laurel Morgan) is the Director of the nonprofit— Ada County Lincoln Day Association, Inc. This organization hosts a beloved annual Lincoln Day dinner every February.

1. Bylaws Violation: ACRCC bylaws explicitly forbid forcing members to leave meetings for alleged conflicts of interest.

2. Selective Enforcement: A third attendee, Lynn Bradescu, was allowed to stay, exposing the motion’s bias.

3. Improper Procedure: Concerns about confidentiality should have led to an Executive Session, not targeted expulsions.

This isn’t an isolated incident. Lynn Bradescu was allowed to stay, even though she has built a reputation for divisive behavior, berating fellow Republicans, and supporting extreme non-Republican candidates.

Her unchecked influence continues to alienate precinct members and undermine party unity. Chairman Paterson has called for corrective actions, including amending the meeting minutes, nullifying business conducted after the expulsions, and clarifying rules to prevent future violations. The ACRCC’s leadership must stop weaponizing procedural rules to silence members and focus on uniting Republicans.

Graham Patterson's letter to Dorothy Moon

The Raffle That Wasn’t Legal

Now, for the pièce de résistance: Ada County finally held its own Lincoln Day event on April 5, 2025. It looked like the event came together—barely. Ticket sales were slow, and Dorothy Moon herself was reportedly making calls to recruit buyers. And Steve Bender was overheard telling someone that ACRCC can’t raise money because Ryan Spoon is too toxic.

But as usual with this group, things didn’t go off without a hitch. At the event, there was a poster prominently advertising a gun raffle, complete with ticket prices. Here’s the problem: Political parties and political candidates are not allowed to host raffles in Idaho.

Idaho law has a very specific statute (§ 67-7702) that defines who can hold a raffle. According to the law, only certain types of nonprofit organizations—like charitable, educational, or religious organizations—are eligible to conduct raffles. Political candidates, political parties, and political committees are explicitly excluded from this list.

But it gets worse. Idaho has a separate statute (§ 67-7707) that says if someone conducts a raffle knowing they are not legally allowed to, it becomes illegal gambling. The penalty? A fine of $10,000.

Now, here’s where it gets really embarrassing for Ada County leadership. They should have been well aware of this law because they passed a resolution earlier this year urging the Idaho legislature to allow political organizations to host raffles. That resolution was submitted by none other than Steve Bender. So this wasn’t some obscure rule they could have overlooked—it was fresh on their minds.

Yet, there was Steve Bender at the Lincoln Day event, standing by as the raffle was promoted. It looks like a clear violation of the law, and ignorance isn’t an excuse—especially when they’d just asked the legislature to change the very law they appear to have violated.

We couldn’t let this “Bender Blunder” go unreported. Party Watch has submitted a formal complaint to the Idaho Lottery Commission, which enforces raffle laws in the state. If the commission finds that Ada County knowingly violated the law, they could be hit with a $10,000 fine.

Given the ongoing financial struggles of ACRCC Chairman Thad Butterworth, who already faces a massive judgment, this is the last thing they need.

Ada County GOP leadership didn’t just make a mistake—it appears they knowingly broke the law. As the party of law and order, we cannot turn a blind eye to this kind of behavior. Idaho Republicans deserve leaders who respect the law and uphold the party’s integrity—not ones who gamble with it.

The Bottom Line

The ACRCC’s leadership is a mess. Instead of focusing on electing Republicans and strengthening the party, they’re consumed with smearing fellow Republicans, hosting illegal raffles, and pushing extreme individuals into power. Leadership matters, and what we’re seeing in Ada County is a masterclass in what not to do.

Republicans deserve better than this. We deserve leaders who prioritize the party’s success over personal grudges and power plays. We deserve leadership that lifts up our party, not tears it down.

We’ll keep shining a light on the dysfunction, and we won’t stop until Ada County Republicans get the leadership they deserve. Stay tuned for more updates.

Sincerely,

Party Watch

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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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