The Benewah County Republican Party has come out publicly against the Republican candidate for county commissioner to defend longtime Democratic incumbent Bud McCall.

Republican challenger Thomas Howard has been going after McCall, saying he doesn't reside in District 3, which he represents.

On Thursday, Pam Secord, chair of the Benewah County Republican Party, said, "I have had many opportunities to hear from the people throughout Benewah County and Tom Howard doesn't have the support of the Republicans and will not win this election."

"Those guys are the most crooked organization you've ever seen," Howard said of the county Republican Party. "They want Bud's favor."

As for Secord, he said, "She's crazy as a loon. I believe she has some mental issues."

Secord said Howard's accusations are a desperate attempt to win an election by default.

"However, as with many things that Tom Howard has espoused of late, he is misinformed about the facts and the law," Secord said. "Tom Howard is a classic example of the type of dishonest candidates our Republican Party cannot in good conscience support."

She said the party hasn't said much about Howard, but since Howard went public "we can no longer stay silent about what we know."

She said, "If we were to do so, we allow the worst of the worst to steal the will of the people of Benewah County and further encourage the type of people who are pushing Tom Howard to continue a dishonest smear campaign for political gain."

As the chair of the party in the county, and a resident of what's known as the Upriver community in the county, people came forward to give her information regarding Howard, she said.

She accused him of "taking firewood from a civic organization intended to help low-income and senior citizens get free firewood," then turning around and selling it, she wrote in an email to The Press.

Howard said he has a bad back and is on Social Security disability, so he's not handling much firewood these days.

However, while working as a pastor about eight years ago - he was a pastor for 10 years total, with stints in St. Maries and Santa - he took an elderly person to get some firewood that was being offered by a charity organization.

"Pastors help people," he said.

Secord also accused Howard of "selling stolen goods from a burglary ring in Fernwood at his yard sale."

Howard said that is only half the story.

He said he allowed a young man - about 18 years old who lived nearby - to set up a table at Howard's yard sale to sell some items.

The young man turned out to be one of a group of "kids" who got arrested for breaking into places and stealing property, Howard said.

"They were good kids who got caught up with something stupid," he said.

Howard said he didn't know the items were stolen until afterward.

When he found out, the unsold items were returned to the victim, he said.