Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

‘You have two courts: Legal, and public opinion’

Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Coeur d'Alene, left, asks a question about conflicts of interest during the Senate Ethics Committee meeting on Monday morning. (Betsy Russell)
Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Coeur d'Alene, left, asks a question about conflicts of interest during the Senate Ethics Committee meeting on Monday morning. (Betsy Russell)

As the Senate Ethics Committee continued discussing the definitions of conflict of interest and Senate disclosure rules this morning, Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Coeur d'Alene, said, "Most of the time we try to err on the side of making sure that we do disclose rather than not, even though it's a bit of a stretch in terms of personal conflict." Kane said that's not uncommon. "You have two courts, and I may be able to get you a win in the legal court," he said, "but that does not equate to a win in the court of public opinion, as you have identified."



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

Follow Betsy online: