A documented ledger of financial costs directly tied to the conduct of KCRCC Rated & Vetted candidates in public office. Every figure is sourced from court records, government documents, or independent journalism. Each item stands on its own sourced record.
This is not an exhaustive list. It covers only documented amounts where a clear causal link to a specific candidate's public conduct exists. Pending civil claims are listed separately and not included in the documented total.
| Candidate / Board | What Produced the Cost | Documented Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Tax and Legal Obligations | |||
| Phil Hart Idaho Senate LD2 | Federal tax debt owed to IRS. Hart, a sitting state legislator, spent years contesting the debt through litigation and two dismissed bankruptcy filings. | ~$586,000 Federal settlement, 2015 | Spokesman-Review, July 2015 |
| Phil Hart Idaho Senate LD2 | Idaho state tax liens. Combined with the federal settlement, Hart's documented tax obligations approached $1 million. | Additional liens Amount not fully disclosed | Spokesman-Review, July 2015 |
| Pending Civil Claims Against Officeholders | |||
| Bob Norris Kootenai County Sheriff | Civil tort claim filed by constituent Teresa Borrenpohl, who was grabbed and dragged from a legislative town hall by the sheriff on video. The state AG declined criminal charges; civil suits continue. | $5,000,000 Pending tort claim | Spokesman-Review, Sept 2025 |
| Bob Norris Kootenai County Sheriff | Second civil tort claim filed by bystander Greg Johnson, who was pushed against a wall and zip-tied by deputies when he shouted "Leave her alone!" at the same town hall. | $2,500,000 Pending tort claim | Spokesman-Review, Sept 2025 |
| Institutional Costs from Board Conduct | |||
| NIC Board Banducci, McKenzie, Waggoner | Wrongful termination settlement and back pay after the KCRCC majority fired President Rick MacLennan without cause. The state's insurer paid $250,000; MacLennan also received a full year of salary and benefits. | ~$500,000 $250K insurance settlement + $249,971 salary/benefits | KREM, 2022 |
| NIC Board Banducci, McKenzie, Waggoner | Board placed President Swayne ($230,000/year) on paid administrative leave in December 2022, simultaneously hiring Greg South as interim president at $235,000/year plus $3,000/month housing, $27,000 moving expenses, and a $35,000 sign-on bonus. A court ordered Swayne reinstated March 2023; the board then placed South on paid leave while his contract - running through at least June 2024 - continued. NIC's accreditor cited "the uncertainty of having two presidents" as a documented financial risk. | $460,000+ South contract value (salary + housing + one-time payments through June 2024); Swayne paid concurrently on leave | Spokesman-Review, Jan 2023 |
| NIC Board Banducci, McKenzie, Waggoner | While MacLennan's $499,971 settlement was being paid out, NIC simultaneously employed wrestling coach Michael Sebaaly as interim president at $180,000 per year, drawing two presidents' salaries from public funds at the same time. | $180,000+ Sebaaly interim salary concurrent with MacLennan payout, 2022 | KREM, Feb 2022 |
| NIC Board Banducci, McKenzie, Waggoner | Board suspended its own competitive bidding policy to hire attorney Art Macomber without going to bid. Macomber recommended placing President Swayne on administrative leave three days after being hired. NIC paid Macomber $325/hour; $25,000 in December 2022 alone, with the engagement continuing into 2023. | $25,000+ $25K in Dec 2022 alone at $325/hr; total engagement not fully documented | Coeur d'Alene Press, Jan 2023 |
| Lakeland Board All 5 trustees KCRCC-endorsed | Superintendent Rusty Taylor was placed on paid administrative leave with no public reason given. The board asked voters for a $15 million levy while paying the superintendent not to work. | $200,000+ Contract buyout, 2026 | Coeur d'Alene Press, March 2026 |
| Duke Johnson Kootenai County Coroner | Emergency autopsy lab construction required after Spokane County ended its 30-year autopsy contract with Kootenai County, citing a former deputy coroner working against Spokane's office. Commissioners approved the emergency expenditure in January 2026. | $1,700,000 Emergency lab approved by commissioners, Jan 2026 | Coeur d'Alene Press, Jan 2026 |
| Bela Kovacs Kootenai County Assessor | Commissioners approved $260,000 to hire a private appraisal company after staff vacancies Kovacs created left his office unable to complete property rolls. Commissioner: paying for "a Band-Aid for his job because he's not doing it." | $260,000 Private appraisal contract, approved Sept 2022 | Coeur d'Alene Press, Sept 2022 |
| Community Library Network | |||
| CLN Board Bauman, Plass, Hanley - KCRCC majority | Board hired attorney D. Colton Boyles without competitive bidding in June 2023. By August 2024 the district had already exceeded its $47,000 annual legal budget with months remaining. The district's business manager projected $80,000 was needed for FY2025; the board approved $57,000, forcing use of carryforward funds. A single payment of $65,700.90 to the Clerk of the District Court was documented in April 2025. | $65,700+ April 2025 court payment alone; annual legal budget exceeded in FY2024 with months remaining | CLN Board Packet, May 2025 |
| CLN Board Bauman, Plass, Hanley - KCRCC majority | After the board's conduct made continued partnership untenable, the 40-year Cooperative Information Network dissolved September 30, 2025. CLN migrated to an independent catalog system. Patrons lost access to approximately 20,000 unique items held by other former CIN members. | $10,800 Aspen Discovery catalog installation, Aug 2025; plus $200K/year CIN contribution now funding internal systems instead of shared regional access | CLN Board Packet, Aug 2025 |
| State School Endowment | |||
| Phil Hart Idaho Senate LD2 | Stole timber from Idaho state school endowment land in 1996 to build his log home. After losing every legal challenge through the Court of Appeals, Hart paid $2,450 labeled a "voluntary donation." He forfeited a $5,000 bond on appeal. The remaining $17,827 of a $22,827 judgment - including state attorney fees - was never collected; the statute of limitations expired before he paid. | $17,827 Unrecovered judgment; school endowment fund, statute expired | Lewiston Tribune, Nov 2010 |
| Municipal Legal Defense | |||
| Scott Herndon Idaho Senate LD1 | City of Sandpoint paid more than $300,000 in legal defense after Herndon sued claiming the right to carry a gun into the annual Sandpoint Festival, a private event. Courts rejected his argument. As a sitting senator in 2024, he then introduced a bill to override the ruling. | $300,000+ City of Sandpoint legal defense, 2020 | Sandpoint Reader, April 2026 |