Yates reacts to video leak

“To go into someone’s office and give the appearance of a private conversation with the absolute intent to publish the contents of that conversation has an absolute chilling effect on the ability to conduct business within the party,” said State GOP chairman Steve Yates.

He’s reacting to the fact the head of the Bonneville County GOP came into his office for a conversation, and secretly recorded it. The county committee chairman, Doyle Beck released the video of a conversation with Yates. The video recorded without Yates’ knowledge. The video shows Yates may have known more about a supposed secret society within the Republican party. Beck believes the ‘secret society’ is trying to unseat local party leaders.

Overall, Yates feels that the accusations are ridiculous. He says in his position he hears rumors about people organizing against others all the time. When it comes to a secret society… Yates says there’s no such thing.

“When someone was coming in to try to come after me I wasn’t necessarily under any obligation to answer his questions or help him out, or necessarily respond with the truth,” said Yates. “It is perfectly allowed in politics when someone has it out for you, to give them a head fake.”

Beck and Bryan Smith, both regional chairmen of the Republican party, claim that Yates has violated his fiduciary duty as party chairman. Essentially the belief is that if Yates was a consultant to the ‘secret society’ he would be against his fellow party officials, and being paid for it would also be a conflict of interest.

“Number one, he had walked into a consulting company and asked a consultant if he was open to being a consultant,” said Yates. “On its face, somewhat of a ridiculous proposition. Number two, there’s nothing in any laws or rules that say someone can’t be paid to be a consultant. But number three, I made patently clear right away, I am not that consultant, and there is no project. How can I be a consultant to a project that doesn’t exist? Even though in the course of the conversation I had hoped that he would believe the thing was real and go after it.”

Still, Beck has called for Yates to either come clean or resign from his position. Yates says so many elements of this are ridiculous. He said at this point in a campaign it’s silly to say someone should resign.

He said it would be better for republicans to stick to the system, not go to courts, and focus on accepting the will of the voters.

That secret society is titled the Idaho Prosperity Project. Beck said theirgoalis to flip the leadership of party precincts.