COEUR d'ALENE - Leaders of Stop the Recall filed a complaint with the city Thursday that they hope leads to a formal investigation of what they say are false claims made by RecallCDA.

The complaint addresses the "overwhelming and persistent misinformation being spread by organizers and volunteers in the effort to gather signatures for the petitions" to recall Mayor Sandi Bloem, and council members Deanna Goodlander, Mike Kennedy, and Woody McEvers.

"By filing a formal complaint, we are taking legal steps to inform the people of Coeur d'Alene of the mistruths being spread by RecallCDA, and in turn to hopefully bring an end to their blatant disregard of the law and basic civility," wrote Jennifer Drake, co-chair of Stop the Recall, in an email to the Press.

Susan Weather, Coeur d'Alene city clerk and chief election official overseeing the recall process, said there are several steps before there would be an investigation.

She will turn the complaint over to city attorney Mike Gridley for review. If he determines there is enough information to warrant an investigation, he will send it on to the office of Kootenai County Prosecutor Barry McHugh. There would be yet another review to decide if an investigation is justified.

"If not, they won't investigate," Weathers said Friday.

If they find wrongdoing, charges could be filed.

Either way, the recall process will continue.

When the recall petitions are turned in, signatures will be counted and certified by June 19. If there are 4,311 valid signatures, Weathers will order an election be held for the recall vote.

"The only thing to stop that would be a court order," she said.

Even if charges were brought from the investigation, Weathers said she wasn't certain how that would affect the outcome of the recall.

In an email, Drake said RecallCDA has repeatedly made several claims, including:

* The four being targeted for recall voted to spend $40 million to upgrade McEuen

* There were no compromises made to the McEuen plan;

* They increased property taxes

* LCDC is unlawful and has increased taxes in the city and county

* The community asked for a public vote

* City salaries are high and excessive

* The mayor wants to pave paths on Tubbs Hill, and changes to Tubbs are still part of the McEuen plan

* The boat launch is being removed

* We will get to vote for a new mayor and council members in November."

"These are just some of the fallacies they have repeated to the public, each of which is untrue and can easily be refuted by checking the appropriate sources," Drake wrote.

She referred to 34-1714(d) of the Idaho Code, which states that a person is guilty of a felony who "willfully or knowingly circulates, publishes or exhibits any false statement or representation concerning the contents, purport or effect of any recall petition for the purpose of obtaining any signature to any such petition, or for the purpose of persuading any person to sign any such recall petition."

The citizen group, RecallCdA, is seeking the ouster of the four incumbents largely for their support of the McEuen Field redevelopment project - and not supporting a public advisory vote on it. They have also cited salary increases for city staff approved by the incumbents as a reason for the recall.

RecallCdA organizer Frank Orzell said Friday he had not seen the complaint and declined to comment.