Kootenai County Republicans formally meet after Saturday’s disruptive town hall as chairman maintains it was ‘private event’
The Kootenai County Republican Central Committee convened an orderly meeting Tuesday in contrast to a legislative town hall the party hosted over the weekend where private security guards were filmed dragging a woman out of the auditorium at Coeur d’Alene High School.
Multiple videos of the controversial incident show Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris grabbing Post Falls resident Teresa Borrenpohl by the arm after she refused his commands to leave for interrupting speakers. He then had two plainclothes security guards remove her.
KCRCC advertised Tuesday’s committee meeting on its Facebook page. Committee meetings are open to the public as guests to observe, according to its bylaws, but only committee members may participate, another post said.
The Republican committee, which comprises about 70 precinct officers, filled about half of the room. About another 70 members of the public, mostly Republican supporters, attended at standing room only capacity.
Chairman Brent Regan reiterated his position at Tuesday’s meeting that the town hall was a private event and said that the security company Lear Asset Management Inc. volunteered its services with no contract .
Regan previously told The Spokesman-Review he hired the security company.
After Regan read more from a statement recapping Saturday’s town hall, none of the committee members had any questions, and the meeting proceeded to other business.
In another Facebook post before the meeting, KCRCC warned of threats it said the party has received since Saturday’s incident, and shared screenshots of “some of the many threats.”
The post complained Coeur d’Alene Police Chief Lee White declined to provide security for Tuesday’s meeting in spite of the threats.
White told The Spokesman-Review he couldn’t prioritize the meeting because of staffing limitations, but police would respond if something happened. Several Coeur d’Alene police officers were present outside the town hall.
The private company Gates Security provided protection for Tuesday’s meeting, with about six or seven guards present.
Several members of the motorcycle club Panhandle Patriots attended Tuesday’s meeting, wearing patched leather jackets. Members are known for their direct involvement in a variety of conservative causes, saying on Facebook they “stand up for the betterment of our community.”
The Coeur d’Alene Police Department is investigating Saturday’s incident. The city of Coeur d’Alene revoked Lear Asset Management’s security license in the aftermath, a news release from the department said.
A majority of committee members agreed, after some debate, to promote another town hall next month hosted by Candlelight Christian Fellowship.
Some members raised questions about what kind of security the event would have, given what happened on Saturday. Regan said it is not a KCRCC event, and its name will not be attached to it.
Candlelight has its own security, Regan said. Candlelight pastor Paul Van Noy will emcee the event, he added.
Reporter Alexandra Duggan contributed to this story.