Thursday, March 28, 2024
46.0°F

Candidate turns in late report

| May 24, 2018 1:00 AM

By BRIAN WALKER

Staff Writer

COEUR d'ALENE — Bill Brooks said he learned the hard way that it’s unwise being a candidate and his own campaign treasurer at the same time.

Brooks, who defeated incumbent and fellow Republican Marc Eberlein during last week's primary and will presumably take the District 1 seat of the Kootenai County Commission in January, filed the rest of his campaign finance forms to the county Elections Office on Tuesday, two weeks after the deadline.

"The fact that I didn't get them in on time was 100 percent my fault," said Brooks, a political newcomer and consumer advocate. "I'm not blaming anybody at all. I found out the hard way that a candidate should focus on running for office, not counting beans."

The tardiness and lack of information on the forms prompted Brent Regan, chairman of the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee, to file campaign disclosure allegations against Brooks with the Idaho Secretary of State.

Brooks reported $14,500 in total contributions and $12,532.39 in expenditures from Jan. 1 through April 29 in the latest filings.

However, after reviewing Brooks's latest disclosure forms, Regan said he still doesn't believe the information is sufficient. Regan offered his personal opinion on the matter, which he said doesn't represent the views of the Central Committee.

"Mr. Brooks’ late and amended campaign finance report raises more questions than it answers," he wrote in an email to The Press. "It contains alarming irregularities, math errors and fails to properly disclose significant donations.

"It appears from Mr. Brooks' filings that he has either not itemized over $12,000 of campaign expenses or he is claiming over $12,000 of personal expenses as campaign expenses. Either is a serious matter. Also, he has failed to properly report over half of his outside donations."

Brooks said he believes Regan’s allegations actually helped him win the election, calling them "last-minute Hail Mary attacks."

"People don't like last-minute attacks," Brooks said.

Brooks said having someone with more of a financial background handling his financial disclosure forms while he was running his campaign would have been a better choice. He said he chose to file incomplete forms a day late rather than no forms at all, then asked for assistance.

"There's a 96-page manual for candidate disclosures and, on top of that, there's 22 pages of heavy-duty accounting forms when you run," he said. "I have a bachelor's degree with some graduate work, but not in law or accounting and I had a hard time with it."

Brooks said he has nothing to hide from taxpayers and believes in transparency.

He asked for a one-on-one debate during the campaign, but that offer wasn't accepted. He also plans to meet with citizens at locations throughout the county weekly starting next week in Bayview.

"I will keep my mouth shut and keep my ears open," he said.

Brooks has also had his cell number published via multiple methods, including in his ad thanking voters for their support and his consumer column in The Press.

Other ideas he has for increasing transparency include televising meetings, an idea that has been juggled by the present board, and moving meetings to a larger, more accessible room downstairs in the Administration Building.

Being transparent is also about taking personal responsibility for mistakes, Brooks said.

"I acknowledge that, when you make a mistake, you take total and personal responsibility," he said. "If you don't, that gives people a reason to question you."