3 Boise-area candidates have past arrests. 12 didn’t disclose bankruptcies or tax liens

Four candidates for the Nampa and Caldwell city councils have faced bankruptcies or liens for unpaid taxes that they did not mention when asked in a questionnaire for the Idaho Statesman’s Voter Guide.

So did two of the four candidates for the Nampa School Board.

And three candidates for the Boise City Council had bankruptcies they didn’t disclose.

The Idaho Statesman asked all 93 candidates in the Nov. 7 election for mayor, city council and school board seats in the Treasure Valley’s nine largest cities plus four school districts to complete the questionnaires. One question asked them to list “past or present tax liens, bankruptcies and felony convictions.”

Four Statesman reporters conducted background checks on all 93 in October. The checks turned up multiple discrepancies between what candidates disclosed and what public records showed.

Bankruptcies: We found eight candidates who had declared bankruptcy to seek relief from debts they could not pay. Seven did not disclose that. The eighth did not answer the question but had a past bankruptcy. Four other candidates did disclose.

The most common types of bankruptcies are Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. Chapter 7 forgives some debt but requires a person to surrender assets, such as a house, to pay off creditors. It does not forgive taxes or student loans. The alternative, less common, is Chapter 13, which allows filers to keep their assets but puts them on a court-ordered repayment plan lasting several years.

These types of bankruptcies stay on the filer’s credit report for years — Chapter 7 for 10 years, Chapter 13 for seven.

Tax liens: We found six candidates who had been slapped with liens for failing to pay taxes and did not disclose them. A seventh did.

A lien is a claim against property, such as a house or car, that can be used to satisfy a debt. Governments file tax liens on people who haven’t paid their taxes. The Idaho State Tax Commission’s website says in part: “A notice of lien is recorded only after all your opportunities to appeal a tax debt have been exhausted. It’s recorded at the Idaho secretary of state’s office as a public record and attaches to all property you own in Idaho, including your land, house, and vehicles.”

In all, 12 candidates did not disclose liens or bankruptcies when asked to. Four did, and one reported a bankruptcy but not a lien.

Misdemeanors: We found no felonies, but the background checks turned up a few noteworthy brushes with the law that fell outside the scope of the questionnaire.

A Caldwell candidate spent time in a county jail for failing to complete the community service portion of a sentence. A Kuna candidate received a withheld judgment for shooting a coyote from a highway. A Boise candidate was sentenced to work on a sheriff’s work detail after a second DUI six years after the first.

All three were charged with misdemeanors. The Voter Guide questionnaire did not ask about misdemeanors, which in Idaho generally bring sentences up to a year in a county jail, while felonies bring longer sentences in state prison.

Here is what we found:

Caldwell City Council

At least four of the 11 candidates running for three council seats have faced liens or bankruptcies. Scott Tilmant disclosed a bankruptcy but not a lien, and Mike Dittenber disclosed “a few small tax liens circa 2008-2014.”

Florina Ruvio answered the Voter Guide question correctly but has faced numerous run-ins with the law.

FLORINA RUVIO, SEAT 5: JAILED FOR MISDEMEANORS

Ruvio, who is running against Ramzy Boutros, Chris Allgood and Christopher Mortenson, said in the Voter Guide that she had no past tax liens, bankruptcies or felonies, and the Statesman’s background checks turned up none. But Idaho court records show she had 11 misdemeanor criminal charges from 2002 to 2011.

She was charged nine times for having an invalid driver’s license or vehicle insurance. She was charged with failure to appear in court twice.

Ruvio told the Statesman by phone that she failed to appear because she didn’t have much experience with the judicial system and just wanted it to be over with.

In 2008, she was given a suspended sentence of 45 days for destruction of a telecommunication line or instrument — which she said happened during a fight with her partner when he threw his phone at her and it broke. She said she was in an abusive relationship and that they went through a difficult separation.

“It’s not my proudest time,” Ruvio said. “It took me a long time to realize I was in an abusive relationship.”

Ruvio did community service in lieu of serving time for her actions, but said she once spent 10 days in jail in Caldwell when she didn’t finish her community service in time.

Ruvio said she lost her brother to substance abuse disorder five or six years ago and has since gotten involved in Breaking Chains Academy of Development, a Nampa-based nonprofit focused on supporting at-risk youth.

The organization helps them receive their GEDs if they’ve been kicked out of school or dropped out and provides resources to help them avoid criminal and gang activity.

Ruvio said kids often struggle from a combination of different things — from incarcerated parents to drug abuse.

“That really spoke to me,” she said.

Her past, she said, is a part of her story.

“I can’t change that,” Ruvio said. “I feel like it highlights what work needs to be done.”

CHRISTOPHER MORTENSON, SEAT 5: UNDISCLOSED BANKRUPTCY

Court records show Mortenson, who is running against Florina Ruvio, Ramzy Boutros and Chris Allgood, declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2017.

Mortenson wrote in the Voter Guide that he had no past tax liens, bankruptcies or felonies. He did not return requests for comment.

JOHN CARTER, SEAT 4: UNDISCLOSED BANKRUPTCY

Carter, who is running against Geoff Williams and Becky Mitchell, said he didn’t include his 2001 Chapter 7 bankruptcy in the Voter Guide because it happened over two decades ago and has long since been removed from his credit report.

He said he declared medical bankruptcy in 2001 after he had kidney failure and had to quit work. He didn’t have insurance and spent almost three weeks in the hospital.

“It wiped out everything I had,” Carter said.

He started dialysis in December 2005 and spent the next 17½ years on dialysis. He received a kidney transplant about a year ago.

SCOTT TILMANT, SEAT 6: UNDISCLOSED LIEN

Tilmant is running against Mike Dittenber, Eric Phillips and Dave Larson. He disclosed his 2009 bankruptcy in his Voter Guide answers but said he didn’t list a nearly $11,000 lien for unpaid federal taxes that year because he couldn’t remember the date.

He said state tax liens in 2010, 2011 and 2013 totaling $2,388 were related to his bankruptcy and were all paid off.

Tilmant told the Statesman by phone that he owned a business for 16 years and that the bankruptcy and tax liens were all related to the economy tanking during the Great Recession.

Nampa City Council

Four out of nine candidates have faced bankruptcies. Troy Keith, who is running to represent District 2, mentioned a 2002 bankruptcy in his Voter Guide answers, while Margie Potter, who is running to represent District 6, mentioned a bankruptcy in 2005.

DAVID LAMBERT, DISTRICT 6: UNDISCLOSED BANKRUPTCY

Lambert is running against Potter, Isacc Solis, Jennifer Niles and Sebastian Griffin in the district that covers part of western Nampa. He declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2000 in Arizona. He did not mention his bankruptcy in the Voter Guide but confirmed it to the Statesman.

He said his bankruptcy stemmed from a divorce when his partner stopped paying her bills.

“(I) Just did a bankruptcy with her stuff,” Lambert said.

He said it was weird that it showed up and was surprised it was still tied to him.

DALE REYNOLDS, DISTRICT 4 (INCUMBENT): BANKRUPTCY

Reynolds, who is running against Amy Hannu in the district that covers part of southern Nampa, said he was unable to participate in the Voter Guide because of time constraints. Reynolds declared bankruptcy in 2010 after his business suffered during the Great Recession.

“It was very unfortunate. I lost about 90% of everything I’ve ever owned,” Reynolds told the Statesman by phone. “It’s not fun, but at the end of the day you get it taken care of and carry on down the road.”

Nampa School Board

Two of the four candidates running in the two trustee contests did not mention prior liens or bankruptcies.

DAVID JENNINGS, TRUSTEE ZONE 2: UNDISCLOSED BANKRUPTCY

Federal court records show that Jennings, a real estate broker running against Adam Schasel in the zone that covers northwestern Nampa, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2007.

Jennings said a member of his campaign team filled out the questionnaire on his behalf while he was on a hunting trip and must not have known about his bankruptcy.

Jennings said he was a plumber when the economy crashed in 2007 and hit the construction trades sooner than other industries. When he lost his job, he couldn’t find another that paid enough.

“We took it really hard, really quick,” Jennings said.

He said he got a job working on cars from a friend and spent close to 10 years in the industry before moving into real estate.

JAY DUFFY, TRUSTEE ZONE 1: UNDISCLOSED LIENS

Sacramento County databases showed Jay Duffy, a general contractor who is running against Stephanie Binns in the zone that covers northern Nampa, received multiple tax liens when he lived in California in the 1990s.

Duffy said they were related to child support and that he hasn’t had any liens since.

Boise mayor

One candidate did not mention existing liens in the Voter Guide: Joseph Evans has three active tax liens dating from 2018, 2020 and 2022, he confirmed with the Statesman.

He said he was unemployed for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that he’s employed once again, he said he’s been “dealing with them as I can.”

Boise City Council

Three candidates did not mention prior liens or bankruptcies in their Voter Guide answers.

CHRIS BLANCHARD, DISTRICT 3: UNDISCLOSED BANKRUPTCY & LIENS, PLUS A DUI

Blanchard, who is running against Kathy Corless, Josh Johnston and Theresa Vawter in the district that covers the Bench and Southwest Boise, declared bankruptcy in the 1990s. He told the Statesman that he paid back all his creditors.

In 2018 and 2019, the government imposed tax liens on his home for missed payroll filings connected to a company he owned, Longdrop Cider Co.

Blanchard has also been previously charged with driving under the influence, according to court records. The first incident was in 2002, which Blanchard received a withheld judgment for, which means the judge did not enter an order of conviction.

The Statesman questionnaire and background checks set no limit on how far in the past a crime, bankruptcy or lien occurred. The Statesman decided not to report single misdemeanor convictions that it uncovered in background checks if they were 20 or more years old and not otherwise noteworthy. But in 2008, Blanchard was charged with driving under the influence for a second time. Upon conviction, Blanchard told the Statesman, he opted to fulfill the misdemeanor sentence by working in the Ada County sheriff’s labor detail.

KATHY CORLESS, DISTRICT 3: UNDISCLOSED BANKRUPTCY

Another District 3 candidate is Kathy Corless, who also did not disclose a bankruptcy in her Voter Guide responses. Corless declared bankruptcy in 2010 and told the Statesman that the situation has been resolved and her bankruptcy discharged.

JESSE GONZALES, DISTRICT 2: UNDISCLOSED BANKRUPTCIES

Gonzales, who is running against Grant Burgoyne, Colin Nash and Hillary Smith in a district that covers West Boise south of Garden City, marked no as his Voter Guide answer but later admitted to having filed for bankruptcy four times in the 1990s. He confirmed the bankruptcies with the Statesman.

Meridian City Council

In Meridian, background checks of mayoral and City Council candidates turned up just one candidate with a bankruptcy, but she disclosed it in the Statesman’s Voter Guide, and previously discussed it with the newspaper in depth. Anne Little Roberts, who is running in the district that covers southeast Meridian, filed for bankruptcy in 2012.

Star mayor

MICHELE MILES: UNDISCLOSED LIEN

Miles, who’s challenging incumbent Mayor Trevor Chadwick, did not disclose a federal lien for unpaid taxes from 2011 when asked by the Statesman in its candidate questionnaire. The lien showed up in a search of records on the Ada County clerk’s website.

Miles told the Statesman by phone that she owed back taxes to the Internal Revenue Service for several years, but “if a lien was placed, I was not aware of it.” She said the agency, which enforces federal tax laws, withheld her tax returns until the debt was paid off.

She said she now hasn’t owed for quite some time. She also said didn’t recall the Statesman asking about tax liens on the questionnaire.

“I had no intention of misguiding anyone,” Miles said.

Garden City Council

One candidate running for reelection did not disclose a $733 state tax lien from 2018.

Council President James Page told the Statesman he had forgotten about the lien after promptly dealing with it five years ago.

“Because the amount of the lien was small and easily resolved, I quickly forgot about it. I was not attempting to mislead the Idaho Statesman or my constituents,” he said in an email. “I take full responsibility for the oversight and sincerely apologize for my misstatement.”

Kuna School Board

JAMES GRANT, ZONE 2 (INCUMBENT): SHOOTING A COYOTE

One candidate running for reelection to the Kuna School Board was charged with a misdemeanor nearly five years ago for what he called “the stupidest thing ever.”

Grant, chair of the board and two-term trustee in Zone 2, which includes neighborhoods in northern Kuna, was charged with a misdemeanor in Adams County in 2018 for “shooting from or across a public highway,” according to court records.

Grant told the Statesman the charge was for shooting a coyote from the side of a dirt road in the mountains near a property he owns.

“I didn’t shoot across the road,” he said by phone. “I had permission from a neighboring rancher to shoot coyotes if I saw them on his property. They want them taken out because the coyotes are killing their calves.”

The incident occurred on Christmas Eve, he said, as he was driving to a church service with his kids. After getting out to shoot the coyote, he hopped back in his truck and saw a police officer driving down the road. Grant told the officer what he was doing, and the officer wrote him a ticket.

Grant said the officer told him it would not have been illegal if he had just stepped over a 3-foot snow berm that lined the side of the road and onto private property before discharging the fireman. But Grant hadn’t crossed the berm because he was in dress shoes, he said.

He said he pleaded no contest and was told the charge would be removed from his record. He was on unsupervised probation for six months and received a withheld judgment, which means the judge did not enter an order of conviction. He did not serve jail time.

“I should’ve taken the time and gone to court over it, because they would have thrown it out,” he said.

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