COEUR D'ALENE -- There are new developments about a voter fraud investigation in Coeur d'Alene. There was more court wrangling Friday over a November election which was split by just five votes.
In November, only five votes separated Jim Brannon and the incumbent Mike Kennedy for Coeur d'Alene city council seat #2. For Brannon, the election is not over. He hired a private investigator to look into voter fraud.
The investigator found voters using business addresses, old home and the county courthouse as their residences. He also discovered that people who have lived outside the country for years are continuing to vote in local elections. The county runs the city election and says it is all legitimate.
"I have a high-level of confidence in my election workers and election process," said Kootenai County Commissioner Dan English.
But Brannon does not. His attorney wants access to voter documents. In court Friday, he learned he could get it. Judge Benjamin Simpson told the county to work with Brannon's lawyer on viewing pages of election documents. The judge is also considering recusing himself from the lawsuit because of alleged conflict of interest. He is also reconsidering a $40,000 bond he told Brannon he would have to pay to proceed with his suit.
The election lawsuit is now only against Mike Kennedy. Kennedy's lawyer had little reaction to Friday's hearing, maintaining the suit has no merit. Brannon's attorney called it "a good day". Decisions could come Monday.
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