DOUG O: Who is he?

Doug Okuniewicz is running for District 2, Seat B of the Idaho assembly as a Republican. He is not what his website claims him to be.

Doug is a registered lobbyist for Coeur d’Alene Racing LTD, an organization trying to bring back dog racing to Greyhound Park in Post Falls for gambling purposes. He is also president of AIM Management and president of the Greene Idaho Foundation, which is majority owned by Alabama investors as the Greene Group that promotes gambling and gaming interests across several states.

Doug Okuniewicz was Chairman of Winning For Idaho Political Action Committee (WFI PAC) up until he ran for the District 2B seat in 2016 (in which he was defeated by Republican John Green). The main focus of the WFI PAC was on gambling and gaming in Idaho controlling contributions of more than $330,000, with Coeur d’Alene Racing LTD contributing $280,000. As of Dec. 22, 2019, Doug Okuniewicz remains a registered lobbyist employed by Coeur d’Alene Racing, LTD.

As a lobbyist for these organizations, Doug has used the Coeur d’Alene Racing, LTD and Winning For Idaho PAC funds to fund various political candidates running for Idaho Legislature, including more than 20 Democrats and the Idaho Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (IDLCC).

My question to the voters in Idaho District 2 is whether they want to vote for a lobbyist who used dog racing funds to promote Democrats for Idaho legislative offices where he hoped they would pass legislation to establish gambling and gaming at the Greyhound Park property in Post Falls?

PETER SUTHERLAND

Coeur d’Alene