Candidate explains citations, misdemeanors

Coeur d’Alene school board candidate Allie Anderton says her record of legal offenses has shaped her into a better person and candidate.

Reader questions regarding Anderton’s offenses arose after the candidate stated on a Republican Party questionnaire that she had no criminal record that could affect her decision-making.

Anderton, running for Trustee Zone 1, provided a statement to The Press about her past and how led her to become the individual she is today. 

Between 1997 and 2007, Anderton had a combined 16 infractions and misdemeanor convictions in Idaho. The offenses included citations for speeding, failure to wear a seat belt and failure to provide proof of insurance. 

In 2002 and 2007, Anderton pleaded guilty to driving under the influence, a misdemeanor offense. Her license was suspended after the 2002 conviction. The following year Anderton was convicted of driving with an invalid license. 

In the last 14 years, Anderton said she has received two speeding citations, separated by a five-year intermission.

“The question asked by the (Kootenai County Republican Central Committee) was ‘Do you have any history of tax liens, a criminal record or conflict of interest that could affect your future decisions,'” Anderton said in an email Wednesday. “My answer was and still is no.” 

“My past is by no means a secret,” Anderton told The Press. “As a teen, I endured traumatic abuse that took me several years to learn and develop healthy coping skills to overcome. I did make mistakes during that time that I am not proud of. Since then, I have found healing through my faith and made peace with my past. I am now a mature and healthy adult who has learned invaluable lessons from my past mistakes. My record since then proves that.

"Through the empathy and courage I gained from the experiences of my youth, which are sadly far too common, I possess the wisdom and understanding that enable me to help others overcome similar circumstances," she wrote. "If anything, my own experience is a big part of what drives me to stand up for the safety and rights of our children, in all settings."

KCRCC Chairman Brent Regan said the committee doesn’t define what constitutes a criminal record or conflict of interest that could impact future decisions. Instead, Regan said “it is a judgment call” for the committee and that a speeding ticket “likely would not affect someone’s decisions today.”

“I have a criminal record. Thirty-eight years ago, I was convicted of doing business without the proper license. Does that disqualify me?” Regan said. “On the other hand, if someone had a bankruptcy within the last two years and their office had $100 million budget authority, that would be a big warning bell.”