Open letter to Idaho GOP chairman Norm Semanko

Dear Mr. Semanko,

I am deeply disturbed by the slanderous politics in the District 2 Kootenai County Republican Primary race. Rick Currie, the incumbent, Jai Nelson, a candidate for office and my husband Chris Fillios ran for this seat. Each received more than 30 percent of the Primary vote during the campaign. During the Primary, a member of Jai Nelson’s campaign team called certain people in the county and specifically started rumors of a sex scandal involving my husband, Chris. You have asked Republicans to back the elected candidates in this November election. I strongly support our Republican candidates, who were elected, but I cannot allow slander to become a truth and I cannot support Jai Nelson.

In a front page article of the Coeur d’Alene Press Oct. 9, 2010, Jai Nelson said, “Rick Currie and Chris Fillios, who have personal vendettas against me, are attacking me.” We accused Larry Spencer of spreading rumors on a sex scandal and Larry said he never made such calls. And then Larry Spencer said, “I’m disappointed to see politics in Idaho dissolving to the point that candidates that lose a primary resort to character assassination against those who won.”

Mr. Semanko, it is the candidate who won, the one you are asking us to support, who resorted to character assassination.

Mr. Semanko, on June 8, 2010, Tina Jacobson, Kootenai County Central Committee Chairwoman wrote this:

“In early January I received a phone call from Larry Spencer. He told me he was working on the campaign of Jai Nelson. I told him I was helping Chris Fillios. Spencer told me in the same phone conversation that he was going to start spreading rumors of sexual impropriety about Fillios. I told him that was totally unethical and that he couldn’t and shouldn’t do it. He just laughed and changed the topic. Since that time I have heard some of the rumors, so apparently he did go ahead with it.”

Mr. Semanko, the people of Kootenai County deserve to know the truth. They deserve to trust their candidates. They deserve people of character. This type of politics has no place in our county or our state. This type of slander crossed all moral and ethical lines and could lead future candidates from entering politics. I would not be writing this to you if I did not have witnesses and proof of this slander. I am asking you to withdraw support for Jai Nelson’s campaign and asking that the Republican and Democrat legislators consider some candidate guidelines to prevent this from ever happening again.

Linda Fillios  

Coeur d’Alene