Phil Hart, Idaho Senate LD2

Idaho Ed News · March 2026

He voted against a $5 million fund for children with severe disabilities like autism and brain injuries.
The bill passed and was signed by the governor anyway.

Idaho Capital Sun · October 2024

Two constituents submitted a formal letter to the Idaho Secretary of State requesting an investigation into his residency.
A private investigator's evidence suggested he lives at a Hayden business office outside his district, not his registered Kellogg address, which had been under construction for years with no occupancy permit.

Shoshone News-Press · October 2024

Hart's 2024 general election opponent catalogued his record in a public letter: timber theft, IRS seizure of his home, 2018 election disqualification for not living in the district, and the Kellogg residency challenge.

Idaho Press · September 2018

The Idaho Supreme Court rejected his appeal of the ruling that disqualified him from the 2018 primary, ending his legal challenge.

Spokesman-Review · January 2016

His Athol log home, built with timber stolen from state land, was auctioned on the Kootenai County Courthouse steps to settle his federal tax debt.
It sold for $182,000 to a Spokane real estate investor.

Spokesman-Review · July 2015

OregonLive · December 2012

A judge dismissed his second bankruptcy filing; he had proposed paying $106 per month for three years on a debt exceeding $600,000.
He stopped filing federal income tax returns in 1996, arguing the income tax was unconstitutional, and lost that lawsuit.

The Inlander · 2012

Profile ahead of the 2012 primary covering his 1996 timber theft, $500,000+ in back taxes, 2010 ethics hearings, and removal from the House Revenue and Taxation Committee.
Four Republicans filed against him; a prominent business PAC formally endorsed his opponent.

Spokesman-Review · October 2010

He stole timber from state school endowment land to build his Athol log home in 1996, per court documents.
As of October 2010, he had still not paid the judgment against him for the theft.

Lewiston Morning Tribune · November 2010

He sent $2,450 labeled a "voluntary donation" to the schools endowment rather than as payment for the stolen timber, creating confusion for state officials. (archive)
He still owed $17,827 on an outstanding $22,827 judgment; the statute of limitations on the lien had expired.

Coeur d'Alene Press · January 2024

He voted against the Idaho State Police budget bill.
All ten legislators who voted no were top-rated by the KCRCC and the Idaho Freedom Foundation.