Money and campaign finance
KCRCC-endorsed boards at North Idaho College and the library network hired lawyers from the same political circle. Taxpayers paid them $275 to $325 an hour.
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The record
- Attorney Art Macomber donated to the campaigns of NIC trustees Banducci ($750), McKenzie ($250) and Waggoner ($250).1
- Those same trustees then hired Macomber as NIC's attorney at $325 an hour.1
- Macomber admitted in a court filing that he donated and talked with them about being hired.1
- A former trustee wrote that the majority then had him declare the sitting president's contract void.2
- The majority fired the president without cause. It cost taxpayers about $500,000.3
- Experienced attorneys had told the board not to proceed. The majority ignored them.4
- D. Colton Boyles was hired by NIC and by the library network at $275 an hour.5
- Boyles scored a D-minus on qualifications, had a DUI conviction, and had never represented a school or library.6
- NIC's board picked him over a competing firm that nearly doubled his score on legal experience.5
- KCRCC members had earlier tried to install Boyles as county prosecutor. Commissioners picked someone else.7
- The library network exceeded its annual legal budget in fiscal 2024 with months remaining.8
Who
- Todd BanducciNIC trustee; Macomber donated to his campaign.
- Gregory McKenzieNIC trustee; Macomber donated to his campaign.
- Mike WaggonerNIC trustee; Macomber donated to his campaign.
- Tim PlassLibrary trustee who voted to hire Boyles.
- Brent ReganRan the meeting that nominated Boyles for county prosecutor.
Sources
- CdA attorney sues North Idaho CollegeCoeur d'Alene Press · December 2022
- MY TURN: The tragedy at NICCoeur d'Alene Press · September 2023 (archive)
- Former North Idaho College President to receive $500K of compensation after his firingKREM · 2022 (archive)
- Partisan politics poisoning NICCoeur d'Alene Press · September 2021 (archive)
- Brent Regan: Pattern, Paying InsidersRigged Red Card
- North Idaho College hires attorney with extremist ties who scored lowest on board assessmentSpokesman-Review · August 2023 (archive)
- Library network to hire Boyles LawCoeur d'Alene Press · June 2023 (archive)
- CLN Board Packet, May 2025 regular meeting (PDF)Community Library Network · May 2025
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