This just in from Coeur d'Alene City Council candidate Adam Graves:

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho- Thursday, October 13, 2011- In light of the recent press release issued by incumbent Ron Edinger, I feel it is only appropriate and fair for the news to fairly report the actual events.

After reviewing a report Dan Gookin created and posted on his web site, which showed pay increase percentages for each city employee, I emailed the document to Troy Tymeson to confirm the numbers shown were accurate. My subsequent verbal question specifically to Mr. Tymeson was if Mr. Edinger had to recuse himself from voting on this portion of the budget, as it appeared to me a clear conflict of interest to vote on a wage increase to your own daughter. The answer I was told was no, he can and does per Idaho law. That was the end of it, or so I thought.

What transpired beyond that initial inquiry, I was not aware of until reading the press release posted on newspaper websites yesterday. Let me be clear, the subsequent actions taken by the city happened without my involvement or knowledge. As I stated above, I did not inquire about the law because I, like everyone else involved, did not know about it. I also had no idea Mr. Edinger's grandchildren worked for the city.

My campaign manager inquired with Mike Gridley yesterday about the city's job application form and whether a question on that form exists that asks if any member of the applicants family works for the city. Mr. Gridley told her that "yes that question exists, but the kids probably didn't consider their grandfather, a city council member, to a city employee."

It is true that I have met with and asked a lot of questions to many of the city departments in the past weeks, and I will continue to do so in the future and make no apologies for this. Voters, do your own research about me before you buy into Mr. Edinger's claim that I am out to get his family. That is pure political posturing in pursuit of the sympathy vote.