Don't fall for Herndon's shell game

Here in Idaho, we're blessed to have easy access to information on campaign contributions. But Scott Herndon has found a loophole to conceal his funding.

After helping to start the Idaho Freedom Caucus PAC to collect donations that aren't subject to the same rules as candidates, he started his own corporation to funnel that money into his pocket — Idaho Freedom Caucus Inc. Unfortunately, our state system that tracks campaign contributions does not track personal income, so he's able to conceal this dark money pipeline.

Herndon's sneaky corporation isn't the only one on the Idaho Freedom Caucus PAC books. Soon after creation, the PAC sent $180,000 to Para Bellum Strategies, a corporation registered to a room full of mailboxes in Wyoming. Who owns Para Bellum Strategies? A string of shell companies that makes it impossible for us, the voters, to follow the money.

If Herndon and the Idaho Freedom Caucus PAC weren't up to no good, then why would they go to so much effort to cover their tracks? I'll be casting my vote for Jim Woodward on May 19. 

LEAN OPITZ

Sandpoint