Among the unsuccessful defenses that the secretive "Education Voters of Idaho" offered yesterday in court for its position that it shouldn't have to disclose its donors was "selective enforcement." Attorney Christ Troupis noted that John Foster, co-executive director of the group, submitted an affidavit to which he attached 215 examples he dug up from over the years of corporations that donated to political committees in Idaho without turning the corporations themselves into political committees that fall under campaign finance laws. Among them: The Idaho Farm Bureau Federation and Micron Technology.

Idaho Deputy Attorney General Brian Kane responded, "The reason why corporations like Micron and Farm Bureau aren't under the microscope is because they weren't taking contributions." He noted that Foster and partner Kate Haas, in affidavits submitted to the court, "both acknowledge that Education Voters of Idaho solicited contributions." Kane also told the court, "A political committee doesn't necessarily have to be a corporation, but a corporation most certainly can be a political committee."

Here's what 4th District Judge Mike Wetherell had to say about the "selective enforcement" argument: "I will point out that the issues that are addressed here, from my standpoint, are legal issues. I can appreciate Mr. Troupis' frustration with the arguments he's made related to selective enforcement or that they have been singled out, but as the Secretary of State is fully aware, if someone is dissatisfied with the way he is administering the law, the solution is at the ballot box - it is not in this courtroom. And so that is not going to be a major factor that this court is going to be looking at."