Hart is on the clock

BOISE (AP) - A North Idaho lawmaker who has refused to pay federal and state income taxes has until next week to respond to an ethics complaint filed against him.

Rep. Phil Hart, an Athol Republican who has claimed the income tax violates the U.S. Constitution, faces conflict-of-interest questions that revolve around his fight over unpaid taxes and his seat on the House Revenue and Taxation Committee.

A seven-lawmaker ethics panel appointed to review the complaint and make a recommendation to the full House began meeting Tuesday.

Rep. Tom Loertscher, R-Iona, chairs the committee and told lawmakers on the panel that if Hart chooses to respond to the complaint, his comments are expected no later than July 14.

Committee member George Sayler, D-Coeur d'Alene, said Tuesday's meeting was only preliminary, and the committee would get down to business at the next scheduled meeting on July 29 in Boise.

The group's decision will weigh heavily on how - and whether - Hart responds to a letter about the complaint sent by the ethics committee, Sayler said.

"That's the question," Sayler said when asked what Hart could say to exonerate himself.

Sayler, who declined to disclose his own thoughts on Hart's behavior, added that he didn't know how long the committee would take to make a decision.

"It depends on what Hart says as a response," he said.

Hart said on Tuesday that he plans to respond to the committee's letter.

"I'm working on it, and I'm not going to talk about it publicly until I'm ready," Hart said.

He still feels confident that he will come out of this process just fine, he said.

"When the facts are laid out in front of the committee, I think I'm going to come out all right," he said. "I'll just have to wait."

Staff writer Alecia Warren contributed to this story.