Support for tax lawsuit grows

BOISE – Three current employees at the Idaho State Tax Commission have added their voices to a lawsuit claiming the state agency has given politically connected taxpayers inappropriate settlements.

State Rep. Shirley Ringo, a Democrat, and lawyer Robert Huntley sued tax commissioners in June in the case that stems from a 2008 whistleblower claim.

An investigation into those claims concluded no laws were broken.

But now, the Times-News reports auditors Paul Chugg and Terry Harvey, as well as manager Barbara Nichols, have added their sworn affidavits to the lawsuit. Chugg says he was threatened with disciplinary action after objecting to a decision that lifted penalties against one company.

And Harvey says settlements “continue to this day,” resulting in unequal taxation.