Something fishy by proxy
COEUR d'ALENE - The validity of the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee's recent 31-30 vote to rescind an invitation to Richard Mack to speak at its upcoming Lincoln Day Dinner has come into question. A copy of a private investigator's report obtained Thursday by The Press indicates that one of the proxy ballots, one of 31 votes cast in favor of retracting the invitation, was a forgery.
The Press contacted party chair Tina Jacobson, who confirmed that she and some other Central Committee members had requested the private investigation, and said the matter has been reported to the Coeur d'Alene Police Department.
"The proxy and a notarized copy of the gentlemen's signature have been given to the police," Jacobson said.
The proxy ballot in question belonged to Kelly Chadderdon, of Coeur d'Alene. Chadderdon did not attend the meeting, and his proxy vote was carried in and cast by Duane Rasmussen, of Hayden.
Chadderdon has admitted it was not his signature, Jacobson said, and a recorded interview with the admission was given to police.
The private investigator's report, signed by Erin Jenkins of Confidential Investigations in Hayden, states that Central Committee members had Jenkins examine several proxy ballots on March 1.
"One person requested one of them back, so we looked at all of them (the proxy ballots)," Jacobson said.
Chadderdon's stood out, Jacobson said, because the handwriting appeared distinctly feminine.
Jenkins, who wrote that he is a trained and experienced forensic document examiner, also personally interviewed Chadderdon and showed him a copy of the proxy ballot in question.
"Mr. Chadderdon replied it was not his signature and that he had never seen the document before," Jenkins wrote. "He also stated he did not know Duane Rasmussen."
Jacobson said she has not spoken to Rasmussen about the situation.
The Press contacted Rasmussen who was surprised to learn that one of the votes he made by proxy may have been forged.
Rasmussen said he was given several proxy ballots to bring to the meeting. They were given to him by someone he trusts, he said, so he did not examine them or question their validity.
He said he did not personally speak to any of the individuals whose votes he cast by proxy.
"I feel horrible if one of them is a forgery. They were given to me in good faith," Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen declined to name the individual who gave him the proxy ballots to bring to the meeting.
"I would be happy to tell the chairman of the party. I will tell the chairman exactly what happened. I think that would be the appropriate thing to do," Rasmussen said.
The roll call vote of elected precinct committeemen was held during the Feb. 28 Central Committee meeting, after Mack had been asked to speak at the March 24 dinner and fundraiser.
Several committee members requested the vote after signing a letter opposing the invitation to Mack, a self-described "Constitutional conservative," and frequent speaker on the national Tea Party circuit. Mack was a sheriff in Arizona, and now lives in Texas where he is running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives currently held by Republican Lamar Smith.
Without Chadderdon's vote in favor of uninviting Mack to speak at the party's dinner, the vote would have been 30-30 and the motion to rescind the invitation would have failed.