The Real Gem State Heist

Ashley Brittain recounts how Dorothy Moon and her team pulled off the real "Gem State Heist."

In July 2023, Tyler Hurst and I were hired by Tom Luna and Trent Clark to find and elect precinct committeemen across the state who were more representative of the electorate in their area. Places like Bonneville County, where Brad Little won overwhelmingly, now had popular legislators censured by a Central Committee who didn’t represent the opinion of those who elected them. Gem State Conservatives were born!

When we started building the larger organization throughout the state, we realized that this was already happening. Small groups around the state had organized and were already finding people to run for PC in their counties. We served as their larger umbrella organization. 

After the May Primary, we knew that the overwhelming majority of our PC’s had been elected. These are people who serve in their communities.We have school board members, doctors, lawyers, popular community leaders, dance teachers, recreation directors, and yes, some lobbyists. (Here’s looking at you Maria Nate)  

Stay with me, here is where the real Gem State Heist began….  

After the May Primary, the first thing that has to happen, Idaho Statute says that these new PC’s have to meet together within 10 days to elect a new chair, and county central committee. This is called an organizational meeting. It IS NOT a County Central Committee meeting. (This is important later)

The second thing that has to happen is that these newly elected PCs have to meet together within 10 days to appoint delegates to the State Party Convention. This is called the delegate selection meeting. It also IS NOT a County Central Committee meeting, and it IS NOT an Organizational Meeting. Often, they happen at the same time, but they should technically be called two separate meetings and have two sets of minutes and two agendas.

It was at these two meetings that the previous establishment did all they could to ensure that their faction remained in power despite no longer having the majority of elected PC’s in their counties. They broke state laws,  state party rules, and county party rules, and they violated Robert’s Rules of Order. They did all that they could to make sure they had more delegates to the convention. They succeeded. All of a sudden, we had a slate of convention delegates that looked nothing like the PCs that were elected in the county they represented.

The State Party rules say that if you want to challenge any delegates to the State Convention, you must do so in writing, prior to the convention's CONVENING. Who knew this would become a pivotal issue? (Keep with me; this is when it gets good)

I submitted a written challenge to Dorothy, Bryan Smith, Scott Herndon, and several of the members of the credentials committee on Thursday at 9:19 am PST.

If you want to see my complaint, you can read it here:  bit.ly/3xnQ65a  Yes, it’s 26 pages like everyone's favorite keyboard warrior Dustin Hurst likes to say. That may seem long to some. 

What he didn’t mention, likely because the members of the credentialing committee never received it, was that there was an attached Google Drive with all of the supporting documents for the challenge. I am guessing it was somewhere around 700 pages. It’s here if you want to see it: bit.ly/4caqaJu

Sadly, there were more counties than just these that had similar issues. Some of those counties were unable to be included in the original credentials challenge because we didn’t have a person in the county who was willing to take the abuse that would come from complaining against the existing regime. So, those counties had to remain unchallenged. (See Herndon already calling out the PC in his county who signed on)

I arrived at the credentials committee meeting several minutes late due to circumstances outside my control. The meeting was full, and the doors were closed. I spoke to a very nice lady who was watching the doors. I told her that I had submitted a challenge and needed to be inside to present my side. She opened the door to let me in.

When I was halfway through the door, I felt myself being pulled backward by the arm, and I was pushed up against the adjoining door. I realized it was Dorothy Moon. She was trying to shut the door to the credentials committee with my arm still trapped inside of it. She said, “ you especially don’t get to go in there.” I took out my phone and started filming.

She walked away down the hall to re-enact how she pushed me for Kirsten Lucas and a few other super classy ladies. I hope you all had a good laugh about it.  

Dorothy then instructed Dominic Brandon and Ryan Spoon to come to guard the door by me and not let me in.  Thanks, Brian Almon for documenting it. Dominic and Ryan had a fabulous time calling me a whore and asking if anyone smelled fish. Dominic Brandon is a multi-count DUI and drug arrestee who was acting as the Sergeant at Arms for our state party convention. This is who is representing OUR party. Wow

Dominic Brandon & Ryan Spoon blocking the door

Eventually, I was allowed inside the credentials meeting, barely in time to hear a very clumsy motion to no longer consider my credentials challenge due to it not being submitted timely. This was upheld. As you recall, the challenge must be submitted before the convention CONVENING.

The reason my challenge wasn’t submitted in a timely manner was that registration had opened that morning at 9:00 a.m. PST, and therefore, my challenge submitted at 9:19 a.m. wasn’t timely. They used the convention agenda as the basis for this decision.

Our State Party Rules state the order of business for our convention. Item one starts with the Chair calling the meeting to order at the first general session. This seems pretty clear to me. But if it’s not clear to others, we can move on to what Robert’s Rules of Order says.

Robert’s Rules state that the credentialing committee is responsible for announcing the registration times as part of the agenda. Registration can begin 1-2 days before the convention. Registration IS NOT when a convention convenes.

Nevertheless, there was one more chance for my credentials challenge to be heard. Our State Party Rules provide for an objection to the credentials committee report prior to the body accepting it. It’s important to note that the objection can be made by any aggrieved delegate, alternate, county, or district.

So I prepared a short objection to the Credentials report and shoved all of the counties into it for a 4 minute argument (1 minute reserved to rebut) and gave it to Tyler to make the objection, seeing as how I didn’t even make it onto the alternate list for Ada County due to their duplicitous actions. The objection can be read here:  https://bit.ly/3XrvZNO

Tyler stood up to object at the appropriate time, and to no one’s surprise they told him he can’t speak as he is only an alternate and not a seated delegate. They even let Branden Durst make some dumb motion to that effect that was sustained. 

Are you ready for the final piece of the steal??? At that point, no one was a seated delegate. The delegation's membership is known only after the report is adopted. This is why Dorothy Moon is still the chair of the Idaho Republican Party. They warned you about the Gem State Heist; they just didn’t tell you who was doing it.

Guest Editorial Written by Ashley Brittain

Ashley Brittain is an award-winning Idaho attorney and education advocate. She is an experienced consultant and works hard to make Idaho a better place for everyone.

Disclaimer
The following is intended to convey an opinion on newsworthy events of public concern regarding public figures and/or public officials in the exercise of their official duties. No implications or inferences—beyond those explicitly stated in the preceding—are intended to be conveyed or endorsed by the Author. Wherever available, hyperlinks have been provided to allow readers to directly access any underlying assertions of fact upon which this opinion is based.

Follow Political Potatoes on Facebook and X (Twitter)