Hey Party Watchers!
Grab your popcorn because this week was a busy week in the world of Idaho GOP drama—and we’re here to break it all down for you in true Party Watch style. We’ve got court rulings, complaints filed, and oh yes, some lingering questions for Bryan Smith, Dorothy Moon, Steve Bender, and Mark Fuller. Let’s dive in!
First off, the Seventh Judicial District Court just ruled that the Idaho Republican Party (IDGOP) must bear its own attorney fees in the case of Bingham County Republican Central Committee v. Idaho Republican Party. Yep, you read that right—after all their posturing and finger-pointing, the court made it crystal clear: you’re on your own, Idaho GOP.
Now, let’s rewind for a second, because this is where things get juicy. Bryan Smith, Dorothy Moon, Steve Bender, and Mark Fuller all filed sworn declarations during this case to make sure the court understood a few things:
These were legitimate legal fees, charged appropriately and just like any other attorney would charge a paying client.
Bryan Smith never said his time was pro bono or donated. Nope, they were adamant about that!
But now that the court has ruled the IDGOP is responsible for their own fees, here’s the million-dollar question:
WHO IS GOING TO PAY?
Alright, let’s get down to the real question at hand: Who is going to pay Bryan Smith’s legal fees now?
Let’s not forget that during the litigation, Bryan Smith made sure that all of the IDGOP leadership—Dorothy Moon, Steve Bender, and Mark Fuller—submitted sworn declarations to the court assuring everyone that Bryan never said his 250+ hours of time on this case would be pro bono or donated. No freebies here, folks! Based on their own statements, it’s only reasonable to assume that the party is now firmly on the hook for these legal fees.
Here’s where it gets interesting: the IDGOP currently has around $50,000 in the bank. That’s right — about $50k to cover all their ongoing expenses, obligations, and… oh yeah, Bryan’s substantial legal bill. So, unless the party leadership plans to pull money out of thin air (or their own pockets—which seems unlikely), the donations they receive in the coming months will likely be used to pay off Bryan Smith for his time in court.
That raises a big question for party donors:
Who wants to donate now, knowing your hard-earned dollars could just be going to line Bryan Smith’s pockets? For a party that’s constantly asking for money to "fight for conservative values," it’s going to be a tough sell when the reality is that every dollar you give might just go toward paying off the legal fees they racked up in a case they didn’t even win outright.
So, what’s it going to be, Idaho GOP? Are you going to tell your donors that their contributions are going to pay Bryan? Or are you hoping they won’t notice while you quietly funnel their money toward cleaning up this mess? Either way, the people deserve to know.
Let us know, Party Watchers—are you ready to donate to fund Bryan’s legal payday? Or does this whole thing make you want to keep your wallet firmly closed?
And while we’re asking the tough questions, let’s also ask:
Who is going to report these fees to the Idaho Secretary of State, as required by campaign finance laws?
Or… is Bryan Smith suddenly going to have a change of heart, “waive” the fees, and reinforce what we’ve all suspected from the beginning: that this was a shady little scheme cooked up to be a fundraiser for Dorothy Moon and the party to keep their spending spree going, unchecked and unabated?
The New Complaints:
Oh, but wait—there’s more! This week, three formal complaints were filed:
Idaho Secretary of State: To investigate why these legal fees haven’t been reported as either in-kind contributions, loans, or debts in the IDGOP’s campaign finance disclosures.
Idaho State Police & Bingham County Sheriff: Alleging a potential conspiracy by party leadership to conceal these fees and avoid public scrutiny.
Idaho State Bar: Raising ethical concerns about Bryan Smith’s conduct as legal counsel, including whether he knowingly submitted false or misleading information to the court.
Additionally, we sent out a new Press Release detailing our findings.
The Scheme Exposed
Let’s be real—this whole fiasco smells like a scheme designed to turn this lawsuit into a fundraising bonanza for Dorothy and the gang. They clearly thought they could spin this whole thing into a win, milk their donor base dry, and keep spending like there’s no tomorrow. But now that the court has handed down its decision, they’re stuck holding the bag.
So, what’s it going to be, IDGOP?
Option 1: Pay the fees and report them like the law requires.
Option 2: Have Bryan “waive” the fees and finally admit this was all a fundraising stunt.
Option 3: Keep trying to sweep it under the rug until someone calls them out again. (Spoiler alert: that someone will be us.)
Stay Tuned
We’ll be keeping a close eye on how this all shakes out. Rest assured, Party Watchers, we’re not letting this one go. Transparency and accountability are what we’re all about, and we’re here to make sure the people pulling the strings don’t get away with playing fast and loose with the rules.
Until next time, stay snarky and stay informed!
— The Party Watch Team
P.S. If you’re as fired up as we are, feel free to share this update far and wide. Let’s make sure every Idaho voter knows what’s really going on behind the scenes.