Idaho Supreme Court Justice candidates trade charges

The campaign for Idaho Supreme Court justice doesn’t normally stir up much attention, but one candidate is trying to change that.

Breck Seiniger, who is running against incumbent Justice Joel Horton, accuses Horton of giving the appearance of impropriety in a case he was deciding involving the JR Simplot Company.

“While the case was pending and while he was crafting the opinion, he appointed the in-house attorney for the J.R. Simplot Company, who was one of the parties to the case as his political treasurer, and that person sent out fund-raising letters and it’s a clear appearance of impropriety, and the law is really clear that where there’s an appearance of impropriety the judge has to disqualify himself,” Seiniger said.

Local News 8 called Horton to get his reaction. Horton said Seiniger got his facts wrong. He said the supreme court unanimously decided the case and the substance of the decision in February.

Horton said it was not until March that he asked his old law school friend to be his campaign treasurer.

As is customary with Supreme Court decisions, it wasn’t published until later — May, in this case. But Horton insists it had all been decided well before the attorney in question joined his campaign.

The Supreme Court race will be decided in the May 20 election.