Last Straw:They stood by a man who raped a 19-year-old intern

The record

• The victim was a 19-year-old legislative intern.¹
• Priscilla Giddings testified for von Ehlinger at the House Ethics Committee hearing on the rape allegation.²
• Vito Barbieri testified for him too, saying he "conducted himself as a gentleman."³
• After the conviction, Barbieri sent the sentencing judge a letter of support on official legislative letterhead.³
• He wrote that von Ehlinger "has shown himself an upstanding person."³
• Rep. Mike Kingsley also sent the judge a letter.³
• Dorothy Moon, now the Idaho GOP chair, also testified in support at the ethics hearing.³
• Asked if a sexual relationship with a 19-year-old unpaid intern was appropriate, she said: "I guess it's no one's business."⁴
• Brent Regan personally nominated her to chair the Idaho Republican Party.⁵
• She posted the name, photo and personal details of a rape victim, which led to harassment of the victim.⁶
• The Idaho House voted 49-19 to censure her.⁶
• Giddings said: "I would not have done anything differently."⁶
• The victim sued Giddings in federal court.⁷
• In 2021 he called the public ethics hearings a "fiasco" and pushed to close future ones.⁸
• A fellow Republican said his plan would leave "everything veiled in secrecy."⁸
• In March 2026 he introduced a bill to make House ethics hearings secret.⁹¹⁰
• The victim's federal lawsuit names Rep. Heather Scott for attempting to access her confidential police statements.⁷

Who

• Priscilla GiddingsTestified for von Ehlinger.
• Vito BarbieriTestified, then wrote the judge.
• Dorothy MoonTestified in support.
• Heather ScottNamed in the victim's lawsuit.

Sources

1. Two Idaho Republicans sent a judge letters of support for convicted rapistIdaho Capital Sun · September 2022 (archive)
2. House Ethics Committee Navigates 'Unwritten Rules' In Complaint Over Rape AllegationsBoise State Public Radio · April 2021 (archive)
3. 2 Idaho Republicans sent a judge letters of support for convicted rapistBoise State Public Radio · September 2022 (archive)
4. Afternoon witnesses: Bedke, Barbieri, Christensen, Giddings, more...Idaho Press · April 2021 (archive)
5. Idaho GOP names Rep. Dorothy Moon as chair, unseating LunaIdaho Reports / Idaho Public Television, July 2022 (archive)
6. Idaho lawmaker censured for publicizing rape accuser's nameSpokesman-Review · November 2021 (archive)
7. Rape survivor of former Idaho lawmaker files lawsuit over doxxingKTVB · March 2023 (archive)
8. 'Is transparency so paramount...?' Idaho lawmaker argues for private ethics hearingsBoise State Public Radio · December 2021 (archive)
9. Ethics cases against Idaho legislators are public. This proposal would curb thatSpokesman-Review · March 2026 (archive)
10. Idaho House ethics trials would be secret under new billBoise State Public Radio · March 2026 (archive)