SANDPOINT — City officials said an investigation has been launched after flyers once again began to surface over the past week falsely representing Mayor Shelby Rognstad's views on diversity in Sandpoint.

"During the past week, flyers and emails have again been distributed to businesses and residents throughout Sandpoint falsely representing views and policies of Mayor Shelby Rognstad," The statement said. "This matter continues to be under investigation by the Sandpoint Police Department. City representatives have no further comment as they don't wish to draw additional attention or coverage to this intentionally divisive and inflammatory communication."

This is not the first time the bogus flyers have circulated around town. In April, a similar flyer circulated in which a quote attributed to Rognstad, which city officials said was a fabrication, stated that he was the vanguard for multiculturalism in Sandpoint. A block of text below the purported quote stated that immigration from Third World nations will enrich Sandpoint and the rape of women and children by immigrants from war-torn nations such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan was a fact of life that should be tolerated.

The new flyer is similar, with a false quote and a block of text underneath indicating that Rognstad is a proponent of low-income housing projects to expand multiculturalism in Sandpoint. The text stated the higher crime rates are "worth the price" in "non-white towns," and crimes, such as the murder of white police officers, is what law enforcement is paid for.

Rognstad was also the target of an automated phone message during the 2016 mayoral election. The "robocall" branded Rognstad as a feminist intent on purging blue collar Caucasians in Sandpoint in favor of low-income minorities. Also, about two weeks ago, a mass email circulated depicting Rognstad in a Nazi gas chamber with Pepe the frog in a Nazi helmet pushing the button.

Another flyer is also circulating this week depicting two local residents "wanted" by police for actively working to import refugees into Sandpoint. The flyer began to pop up in emails after a meeting at Community Hall last week where a talk was held on refugee resettlement.

The "wanted" flyer came in a mass email from a "@mail2idaho.com" address, and the Pepe the frog email was from a similar address, "@mail2world.com." The bogus flyers misrepresenting the mayor have an internet link and a smartphone barcode at the bottom directing web browsers to a YouTube video posted by a white supremacist group.

Keith Kinnaird contributed to this report.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.