Two city employees allegedly involved in KEEP campaign
Work computer said to have been used to download documents, create handouts
The Nez Perce County Prosecutor’s Office is in the process of filing civil citations against two city of Lewiston employees for allegedly using taxpayer resources to campaign on behalf of the KEEP Lewiston effort to convince voters to retain the city council-city manager form of government.
A news release from Prosecutor Justin Coleman didn’t identify the employees because they haven’t yet been served with the citations. But one of them is presumably City Clerk Kari Ravencroft, who previously admitted using city resources to print KEEP Lewiston flyers for the group’s booth at the Nez Perce County Fair earlier this year. The same employee also allegedly attempted to solicit donations for the campaign from coworkers and subordinate staff during working hours, according to the news release.
The other employee allegedly used their work computer to download documents and create two handouts for the campaign. The city and the two employees have been “completely cooperative” throughout the investigation, according to the news release.
Coleman will cite the employees for violations of Idaho’s Public Integrity in Elections Act, which the Legislature passed in 2018. He said his office has spent more than 35 hours conducting interviews and reviewing documents and emails during the two-week investigation.
“This statute is designed to guarantee that public resources are not used to influence outcomes at the ballot box,” Coleman said in the news release. “Enforcement of this statute and ensuring fair elections in Nez Perce County should be a priority for everyone.”
The act states that any public official or employee who conducts or participates in an activity that violates its provisions can be subject to a civil penalty of up to $250. Any public official or employee who knowingly violates the act can be subject to a civil penalty of up to $1,500.
The question of whether to retain the current form of city government or to switch to a strong-mayor form was put on the ballot by a group called Lewiston SMART, which collected enough signatures from registered voters earlier this year to put Proposition 1 on the Nov. 2 ballot. The measure asks voters to choose “yes” to retain the current council-manager form of government, or “no” to switch to a strong mayor form.
City Councilor Bob Blakey, machinist Wilson Boots and Lewiston Sen. Dan Johnson are all running to become the city’s strong mayor if a majority votes “no” on Proposition 1.
Coleman thanked the city of Lewiston administration and the employees involved for cooperating quickly to provide the information requested. The investigation is ongoing.
Mills may be contacted at jmills@lmtribune.com.
