Wheeler defends response to claims
SANDPOINT — Bonner County Sheriff Daryl Wheeler said his office is taking allegations of intimidation and harassment of an Idaho Democratic party campaign organizer seriously.
Party officials said they were forced to withdraw the organizer from the campaign field after several instances of alleged harassment by those loyal to the GOP.
Party spokesman Dean Ferguson said they were left with little choice because a deputy was dismissive of the harassment claims and Wheeler was unresponsive when they sought assurances that its personnel would be afforded equal protection under the law.
The 21-year-old employee reported incidents of harassment to Sandpoint Police in September. The employee told police he was followed out to his vehicle at a Sandpoint grocery store and warned to watch his back. On another occasion, on Sept. 22, the party worker told police he left his downtown office to find several people were milling around his vehicle and allegedly said they needed to document his license plate because they knew he had moved a different residence.
In a third reported incident, a pickup truck was allegedly driven up the driveway of his new residence. The worker initially thought it was a lost motorist using the driveway to turn around, although somebody got out of the rig and began taking pictures of his vehicle.
The worker reported that the people who were harassing him were wearing T-shirts and buttons bearing the name of Heather Scott, a Republican state representative who is being challenged by Kate McAlister, a Democrat, in the Nov. 8 general election.
Scott declined to comment when asked if she was aware of the allegations.
Wheeler released a statement saying a deputy who spoke with the worker assured him that Sandpoint was an accepting community. The deputy added that his wife is a Democrat and has never received any negativity when expressing her views, Wheeler said in the statement.
The deputy also explained Idaho laws regarding stalking, trespassing and malicious harassment. Moreover, the deputy advised the worker that if he had promptly reported the third incident, deputies would have had a chance in locating the suspect vehicle.
Nevertheless, one deputy searched the area while another took the worker’s statements, Wheeler said. Wheeler added that a request for extra patrols was also sent out to all shifts and regular prowler checks were made in the area.
Wheeler took issue with the inclusion of Ferguson’s comments in the initial news story. He noted that Ferguson was not a reporting party in the case and that his remarks differed from what was contained in official police reports.
“The story in the Bee differs in content from the official reports, and despite the tone of that article, I found that my staff acted in a prompt and professional manner,” Wheeler said.
The Idaho Democratic Party released a statement Monday denouncing the harassment. Party Chairman Bert Marley said Scott is overtly intimidating voters by calling on her supporters to identify Democrats and moderate Republicans voting on the GOP ticket.
“That her supporters enforce her directives while at the same time enjoying their rights to pack pistols on their hips is more intimidation. Idaho’s forebears would be mortified at this level of incivility and corruption. They worked hard to make our beautiful communities safe and friendly,” Marley said in the statement.