COEUR d'ALENE - Some candidates for Coeur d'Alene City Council are crying foul over what they call deceptive emails they believe Truth North Idaho, a newly formed political action committee, sent them to distort their positions.

Two suspicious emails were circulated earlier this month to Steve Widmyer, Kiki Miller, Amy Evans and Woody McEvers asking for their positions on women's reproductive rights and prayer at city council meetings.

The candidates' emailed responses were published on the Truth North Idaho website over the weekend, but not in full context and possibly after having been solicited deceptively.

The emails were allegedly sent from Samantha Tunic and Vince Harding, who claimed to be progressive and wanted to ensure the candidates were sympathetic to their causes.

"They are definitely one in the same," Widmyer said on Monday, adding that no one other than Harding and Truth North Idaho had access to his email response.

Harding sent a version of the following email request to all four candidates:

"My question was about whether you would be willing to look into whether it is appropriate to have prayer - particularly a prayer administered from one religious Christian sect - at a public meeting," Harding wrote in an email to Widmyer. "I would be happy to talk to you. But just a quick response from you acknowledging my concern and your willingness to look into it is all that I think is needed. You would not want me to sit this one out. I have many, many progressive friends in this community - and we vote!"

Widmeyer responded saying: "My answer to your question is that as Mayor I would listen to all citizens concerns. In my opinion every citizen has a voice. So as Mayor I would be happy to sit down with you and address your specific concern. Thank you for being in touch."

Truth North Idaho published Widmyer's stance on public prayer as: "I would be happy to sit down with (someone wanting to end prayer at meetings) and address their concern."

Miller, Evans and McEvers were also partially quoted - directly from their email responses to Harding's inquiry.

The Harding email contained a phone number that is listed under the name "Ketchum ID," which peoplefinders.com explains is a common practice for telemarketers and debt collectors who want to hide their caller identification.

A call to the number associated with Harding's email was answered Monday by Jeremy Morris, owner of Liberty Consulting, which is handling all public inquiries for the Truth North Idaho PAC.

Morris refused to discuss why he answered Harding's phone number, but said he would do so via email.

"Truth North Idaho PAC has not contacted any candidates, neither directly, nor through the auspices of a pen name. But don't you think the better question is: Who is Eagle Eye?" Morris responded.

"Truth N. Idaho was saddened to hear the response of candidates Steve Widmyer, Amy Evans, and Kiki Miller on the issue of banning prayer in public meetings. We believe there is only one acceptable response to the question of whether to consider banning prayer before a public meeting. 'NO!' We are here to speak truth in North Idaho."

Widmyer and the other candidates are not buying that.

"This is hardly Truth North Idaho," Widmyer said. "This is just sleazy politics. It is really disgusting."

Harding's phone number - the same one answered Monday by Morris - was also listed as a contact number on a Craig's List advertisement seeking people to put Truth North Idaho fliers on cars in Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene on Sunday. At least one Coeur d'Alene church was targeted on Sunday with those fliers.

Morris did not respond to questions concerning that matter.

Barbara Hedden, a member of the Reagan Republicans and an elected precinct committeewoman in the Republican Party, filed as the treasurer of the TNI PAC on Friday.

She said she had no idea who Tunic and Harding are, and could not explain why Morris answered Harding's phone number on Monday.

"I don't know," she said. "I cannot answer those questions."