Games are afoot in attempts to evade Idaho’s Sunshine Law, as a series of related companies controlled by eastern Idaho businessman Doyle Beck and attorney and former congressional candidate Bryan Smith are funneling large sums of money into several GOP legislative challengers’ campaigns in advance of next week’s primary election.

Today, yet another new amended report has been filed by M.C. “Chick” Heileson’s campaign, this time adding back in another $1,000 contribution from one of Beck’s companies. Individuals and corporations can only donate $1,000 per election, primary or general, to a legislative candidate. But the latest version of Heileson’s report shows $1,000 from Beck’s firm Beco Construction of Idaho Falls; $1,000 from Phenix of Idaho Falls, also owned by Beck; and $1,000 from JB Construction Inc., also owned by Beck.

It adds notes saying that for Phenix of Idaho Falls, Elizabeth Beck is the majority stock holder; and for JB Construction, Brian Christenson is an “equal stock holder.” Yet, on his LinkedIn page, Doyle Beck boasts that he is the major stockholder and founder of Phenix Construction, the firm through which he’s done extensive work at the Idaho National Laboratory, and has been for 25 years and four months; and that he’s also the major stockholder and founder of JBC Construction Inc., and has been for 34 years and three months. He also says he’s the major stockholder and founder of BECO Construction Inc., and has been for 41 years and four months; in all, Beck says he’s the owner, founder, and/or major stockholder of nine firms. Elizabeth Beck, also known as Lynn Beck, is his wife.

“We’re looking at it,” said Deputy Idaho Secretary of State Tim Hurst.

There’s more. The new campaign finance report from Randy Neal, who is challenging Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls, in the GOP primary, shows three $1,000 contributions from Beck’s firms: Phenix of Idaho, Gem Lake Harbor and JBC Construction. There’s also another $1,000 contribution from “Lincoln Land Co.” at the same address as Gem Lake Harbor; Beck’s LinkedIn page says he is the developer and owner of “Lincoln Industrial Park,” an industrial subdivision, and has been for 21 years and three months.

Then there’s the new report from Bryan Zollinger, a candidate for an open House seat in District 33. He reports $1,000 contributions from Phenix, Beco, Doyle Beck, Lynn Beck, and from Bryan Smith, who is Zollinger’s law partner. Plus, there’s another $1,000 from Smith, Driscoll & Associates PLLC. Then, in an additional 48-hour notice of a last-minute contribution, Zollinger reports two more $1,000 contributions, one from Sharon Smith, Bryan Smith’s wife, and another from Diversified Equity Systems LLC, Bryan Smith’s company, which has the same address as the law firm and the contributions from Bryan and Sharon Smith. Spouses can each give $1,000. But overall, it appears that Beck and Smith, along with Zollinger’s immediate family members, are providing nearly all the financing for the campaign.

On a smaller scale, Rep. Pete Nielsen, R-Mountain Home, filed a report yesterday showing just six contributions, but two of them – for $1,000 each – were from companies at the same address, one of which owns 90 percent of the other. That would be a violation of the Sunshine Law as well, because companies that are parent and subsidiary are subject to the aggregate donation limit of $1,000. Hurst said the Secretary of State’s office is looking into that one, too. “I’ve got a call in for Pete to ask him what’s going on,” Hurst said. “He’ll probably have to return the money from one of ‘em.”

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