The Idaho GOP's Legal Shell Game

What are Dorothy Moon, Mark Fuller, Doyle Beck, and Bryan Smith so afraid of?

Bryan Smith’s ability to maneuver within Idaho’s legal and political systems has long been a subject of scrutiny, but new revelations raise deeper concerns about his tactics. A growing pile of formal complaints accuses Smith—the National Committeeman for the Idaho Republican Party and a practicing attorney—of engaging in legal and ethical misconduct. What initially appeared to be just another example of Smith’s brand of hardball politics has escalated into a question of whether he has violated campaign finance laws and entangled the Idaho GOP in a financial and ethical quagmire.

The latest controversy stems from the Idaho GOP’s lawsuit battle with the Bingham County Republican Central Committee. While that case is closed, the financial and ethical implications continue to ripple outward. In court filings, Smith seeks over $82,000 in legal fees for his representation of the Idaho GOP. However, Doyle Beck, a longtime ally of Smith and fellow board member of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, …