Eye on Boise: Paulette Jordan campaign chief’s resignation: Was it over PAC, or on-job friction?

Paulette Jordan’s campaign released a photo Thursday of its then-campaign manager, Michael Rosenow, posing with Jordan’s opponent in the race for governor, Idaho Lt. Gov. Brad Little, at a Little fundraiser Aug. 29 on the Basque Block in Boise.

“Upon seeing the photo of her campaign manager with lieutenant governor Little, Paulette Jordan said this is unseemly behavior for a campaign manager,” said Jordan’s communications manager, Dana Ferris. “It was the straw that broke the camel’s back at that point.”

It is unclear whether Rosenow meant the photo as a joke; he couldn’t be reached for comment.

Rosenow resigned abruptly Sept. 14, along with two other campaign staffers. On Thursday, the Idaho Statesman reported that the resignation was tied to concern over the campaign’s formation of a federal super PAC with donations from the Coeur d’Alene Tribe.

There’s been much speculation this week as to whether the staffers who left were disgruntled at parting ways with the campaign or were objecting to something improper.

But Jordan’s campaign said it had been planning a leadership transition for weeks and had already hired four new staffers before the resignations; it brought on four more this week. Rosenow had been with the campaign since July.

Late Thursday, Jordan said in a statement, “I’m running for governor because I love Idaho and I’m fighting to defend our land’s future, which is an inheritance that belongs to all (of) us. Through my decade in political service, I’ve traveled the state extensively, met many people and listened to their challenges. Idahoans are as unique as our geography and they deserve a unique leader who understands how to build a better Idaho for all. A better Idaho for our children that offers families affordable and easily accessible healthcare, better education without accumulating debt, cleaner natural resources and sustainable well-being.”

“Everything I’ve done has been with the highest ethical standards,” she said. “I am concerned about whether there may be a double standard being applied here.”

Jordan’s campaign on Thursday defended the creation of the super PAC, called the Strength and Progress PAC, as did the tribe.

However, the Idaho Democratic Party, in a statement, sounded a note of caution. “The Idaho Democratic Party is concerned with the purported campaign finance activity within the Jordan for Governor campaign and we are taking it very seriously,” party Chairman Bert Marley said in a statement. “We have reached out to the Jordan campaign to further understand the situation.”

Marley added, “It’s up to each campaign to decide how they raise funds and how they choose to spend them. The Idaho Democratic Party has and will always remain transparent regarding our finances.”

Ferris said that current acting campaign manager and then-senior adviser to the campaign, Nate Kelly, met with the leadership of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe in May. “In addition to stating an interest in directly supporting the campaign to elect Paulette Jordan, the Tribe was interested in whether Rep. Jordan could specifically support First Nations issues,” Ferris said in a statement.

“Since her campaign cannot accept nor direct earmarked contributions to committees supporting her campaign, Kelly advised the Tribe to support a federal committee that aligned with the Tribe’s interest in supporting First Nations issues nationally. Following up, Kelly contacted Mike Davis, who had offered to assist the Tribe in supporting First Nations’ issues federally, and set up Strength and Progress Inc. for that purpose.” Davis is listed in FEC documents as the super PAC treasurer, from Irvine, California.

Ferris added, “The Jordan campaign has received no support in any way from Strength and Progress. There is nothing improper about these actions; the legality is unambiguous, and any innuendo to the contrary is completely false and intentionally misleading.”

Tyrel Stevenson, legislative affairs director for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe – of which Jordan is a member and a former Tribal Council member – said in a statement issued Wednesday, “The Tribe fully supports empowering natives and native women as an underrepresented group and stands tall with Paulette as she strives to become the first Native American to be elected governor of a state. The Tribe has contributed the maximum amount allowed under state law to Paulette’s campaign for the primary and general elections.”

He added, “Although Paulette is a Coeur d’Alene Tribal member and the Tribe certainly supports her historic run, the Tribe and the campaign are completely separate and are each responsible for their own affairs. The Coeur d’Alene Tribe has diligently followed all applicable campaign finance and election laws and will continue to do so as long as it participates in the political process.”

The turmoil among Jordan’s campaign staff was notable because it was the second time it had happened; a week before the May primary election, Jordan’s campaign parted ways with its regional director, and its volunteer treasurer resigned.

Stevenson said on Thursday, “It is very exciting to see not only a Native person but a member of the Tribe run for statewide office, and the Tribe supports that run wholeheartedly.”

He added, “It is unfortunate that disgruntled former members of the campaign staff would attempt to paint a picture of impropriety and tarnish that excitement simply because they did not agree with the direction the campaign chose. Even in light of the Statesman’s reporting, the Tribe is not aware of a single rule violation and stands by its earlier statement.”

The Statesman reported that Jordan has been “advising on and fundraising” for the super PAC, and said that could raise issues of improper coordination between the PAC and her campaign on spending that benefits her run for governor. However, the newspaper also reported that the PAC hasn’t spent any money as of yet.

The Statesman also reported that Rosenow, in his resignation letter to the campaign, wrote, “I will have no part or complacency with this PAC.”

The campaign said it couldn’t confirm that it had received the quoted letter.

Zach Hauge, campaign manager for the Little campaign, said, “The lieutenant governor took many photos with the over 300 people that attended our campaign event on the Basque Block. Michael was apparently one of them.”

Little’s campaign benefited from more than $130,000 in independent expenditures on his behalf in the primary from OtterPAC, a PAC created by current Gov. Butch Otter, according to state campaign finance records.

Betsy Z. Russell is the Boise bureau chief and state capitol reporter for the Idaho Press and Adams Publishing Group. Follow her on Twitter at @BetsyZRussell.