Republican Party secret society controversy continues

Controversy within the Idaho Republican Party continues to grow as two party leaders claim there’s a secret society trying to control party leadership.

Now they’re saying the state party chairman, Steve Yates, knows something about this group.

“Given what Chairman Yates has said, and what at least one other person has allegedly said, Chairman Yates obviously knows about the Idaho Prosperity Project,” Bryan Smith, a regional GOP chairman, said in a press conference Monday.

Smith said he and Bonneville County Chairman Doyle Beck were given a document, from a source they are “not disclosing at this point while the matter is pending in, before the court for litigation.” The men say that document describes the group’s plan.

“I found this document I took it and laid it on Steve’s desk, he knew exactly what it was, he’d seen it before,” Beck said. “He didn’t have to look at it to determine, he knew what it was and why I was there.”

Local News 8 and Eyewitness News asked Beck if Yates actually told him that.

“He told me that he was aware of it and had knowledge of it,” Beck said. “He told me that I should be thankful that I have the enemy’s plan and that he refused to help.”

Yates said Beck has a “creative interpretation” of that conversation.

“What I recall is him coming into my office unannounced with a series of questions and borderline accusations,” Yates said. “The upshot of what I recall of the conversation was that I told him, multiple times, that I don’t know that this is even real and I think people are messing with him. And he took a number of conclusions from that conversation that I don’t think will stand up to scrutiny.”

Beck and Smith went on to say Yates’ knowledge of the Idaho Prosperity Project goes even further.

“The state party chairman (Yates) could have been the consultant to this project, but didn’t do it. Not because he was supposed to be impartial, but because they didn’t come up with the money,” Smith said.

“I’m the source that he said if he had got the money, he’d be their consultant. But he wasn’t going to work without money,” Beck said.

“What’s particularly offensive and odd is this claim that I somehow have profited from being state party chairman, or that I have been paid to engage in precinct party politics,” Yates said. “Now my life experience is at state and national politics, and some ways international politics. It would be incredibly unusual for someone to pay me to be involved in precinct politics. But I can categorically say that no one has paid me to be involved in precinct politics or political action committee.”

Smith and Beck said they do not know who is behind the secret society, but they are trying to figure that out. The men have filed a petition to depose several people, including Yates.

“We are trying to find out who authored it,” Bryan Smith said. “You would think that, if the people whose depositions we’re seeking knew nothing about it, they could simply step forward in deposition and say, ‘I know nothing about it.’ Instead, to a person, they’ve all hired an attorney and they’re trying to stop the depositions so they don’t have to talk about it.”

“I don’t need to be deposed in order to say something like this,” Yates said. “What is not a joke, though, is these gentlemen’s willingness to trample upon the constitutional rights of others in pursuit of something they don’t even know exists. And all the while not disclosing what any of their intentions are,” Yates said.

According to Yates, there are claims that Smith plans to run for state party chair.

“If it is Mr. Smith’s intention to run for state party chair, is there any reason for anyone to believe that all of this is anything more than a smear campaign as part of his contest to be the state chairman?”

Smith said he has “no interest in being state chair.”

At Monday’s press conference, Doyle Beck announced he will not be running for re-election as Bonneville County Republican Party chairman.

“Months ago, I made this decision to give others, several (of) whom are well qualified, the opportunity to serve and allow me more time with my 19 grandchildren,” he said.