Democrat's Spaghetti Doesn't Stick to the Wall — Conservative Senator Phil Hart Cleared to Remain on Nov. 5th Ballot
Turns out the Democrats are the real conspiracy theorists.
On October 1st, North Idaho democrats held a press conference in front of Senator Phil Hart's Kellogg home claiming that the Senator doesn't live there.
Their claim was not supported by any evidence that Senator Hart lived at another location. The crux of the democrat's theory is that Hart is taking a long time to remodel his home, and therefore must be living somewhere else.
Hart, whose day job is working as a structural engineer, said to Tribune reporters:
"Carpentry is a hobby of mine, and the carpentry experience I am getting remodeling my home makes me a better engineer. When I get my current remodel project done, I am planning on building a concrete gazebo in the back yard with a concrete dome."
The complaint filed with the Secretary of State's office by liberal activist Deborah Rose, and Kootenai County Democratic Party Chair Evan Koch was not a verified complaint, as it was e-mailed and lacked a signature.
Deborah Rose (left) Evan Koch (Right)
The complaint did not include any facts, only theories. The initial (now debunked complaint) reads as follows:
Dear Secretary McGrane,
We, the undersigned, are registered voters residing in Legislative District 2 of Idaho and are writing to respectfully request an investigation into the residency of Senator Phil Hart. Senator Hart is currently registered to vote at [REDACTED]. However, this address has been under construction for several years, and we have reason to believe that Senator Hart is not residing at this location as required by law.
As concerned citizens from both sides of the political aisle — one a registered Democrat and the other a registered Republican — we are united in our desire to ensure that our elected officials are adhering to the residency requirements set forth by Idaho law. We believe that transparency and accountability are essential to maintaining the integrity of our electoral system.
Given the extended construction on the property and concerns raised by residents within our community, we ask that your office investigate whether Senator Hart is in fact residing within Legislative District 2 or whether he is residing outside the district, which would be a violation of Idaho’s residency requirements for state legislators.
This is a bipartisan request motivated purely by our shared commitment to the rule of law and the democratic process. We trust that your office will thoroughly review this matter and take appropriate action to ensure compliance with Idaho’s election laws.
Thank you for your time and attention to this important matter. We look forward to your prompt response.
Sincerely,
Debra Rose
Registered Voter, Legislative District 2Bruce (Evan) Koch
Registered Voter, Legislative District 2
Rose and Koch’s “complaint” ignored the elements needed to be proven in a court to have a successful outcome. There is plenty of case law that can be relied on for guidance. On top of that, the entire complaint was constitutionally misdirected as it is the Senate that has jurisdiction to judge the "qualifications... of its own members" according to the Idaho Constitution, Article 3, Section 9.
On Tuesday, October 8, the Secretary of State's office issued a letter stating that their office concluded that Senator Hart meets the residency requirements to be the Senator representing Legislative District 2.
Consequently, Senator Hart remains on the November ballot, and is endorsed by the Kootenai County Republican Central committee.
Hart's opponent looks like he should spend more time reading Idaho’s Constitution, instead of creating wild Conspiracy Theories.
