Idaho election official apologizes for investigation comment

A top state election official is apologizing for wrongly stating a Republican gubernatorial candidate was under investigation.

Deputy Secretary of State Tim Hurst said Tuesday he did not have all the facts when he incorrectly stated that Tommy Ahlquist’s campaign was under investigation.

Hurst added there have been some communication problems with the Ahlquist campaign due to recent turnover in the secretary of state’s office, but there is no evidence of wrongdoing.

Hurst had originally stated the attorney general had been asked to investigate possible campaign finance violations when in fact the attorney general’s office had been asked to help get information and no investigation existed.

Ahlquist is running against Lt. Gov. Brad Little and U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador in the May 15 primary.