A Pattern of Abuse of Public Trust in Blaine County

There’s a line that public officials are not supposed to cross.

In Blaine County, that line is being crossed with increasing frequency.

This week, under Mayor Martha Burke’s administration, the City of Hailey sent out an official city newsletter that included a section from the public library urging residents to “Say YES to Libraries!” in support of the proposed library district levy. This was not informational. It was not neutral. It was a direct call to vote a certain way, distributed using government resources.

Idaho law is clear: public funds and public communications cannot be used to advocate for or against a ballot measure (Idaho Code § 74-604).

This wasn’t a gray area. It was a violation, and it’s not the first time we’ve seen this.

Last fall, Bellevue Mayor Christina Giordani used a city newsletter to reference her own campaign during an election. After backlash, she issued an apology—again using a city communication channel. The same public resources were used twice, even after the problem was identified.

Now we have a second mayor in the same county using official communications to influence an election outcome.

At the same time, Ketchum City Council member and current congressional candidate Tripp Hutchinson was recently sentenced after pleading guilty to misdemeanor petit theft. He admitted to taking property that wasn’t his, describing it as “moral civil disobedience.” The court ordered probation, community service, and restitution.

Different facts. Same underlying issue: a growing disregard for basic rules and standards by people entrusted with public authority.

When elected officials use taxpayer-funded communications to push political outcomes, or treat the law as something to interpret rather than follow, it sends a message: the rules don’t apply equally.

That erodes trust and it doesn’t happen all at once. It happens through repeated decisions that push the boundaries a little further each time.

That’s why a formal complaint has been filed with the Idaho Attorney General, Blaine County Prosecutor, and City of Hailey Attorney regarding the City of Hailey newsletter (see below for the complaint and you can view the City of Hailey newsletter here). Not because this is complicated, but because it isn’t.

Public resources are not campaign tools.

Blaine County deserves better than a pattern of officials who ignore that line until someone forces accountability.