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Robin Dunn recall, Jefferson County, Idaho (2015)
| Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Recall election date |
| March 10, 2015 |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2015 Recalls in Idaho Idaho recall laws County official recalls Recall reports |
An election to recall Robin Dunn from his position as prosecuting attorney of Jefferson County, Idaho, was held on March 10, 2015.[1] Dunn was retained.[2]
The campaign to oust Dunn was launched in September 2014.[3]
Dunn was accused of inadequate performance, wasting tax revenue and having conflicts of interest. One central complaint was that his private law firm represented the county in a federal lawsuit and made a profit off this lawsuit. Dunn responded to accusations by saying this apparent conflict of interest was made at the request of county officials and that he returned his firm’s profit to the county.[3]
According to Idaho election law, the same number of people who voted for Dunn in 2012 needed to vote to recall Dunn in 2015. Therefore, 9,167 votes in favor of recalling Dunn were needed for the recall to take effect. At the time, there were 12,364 registered voters in Jefferson County.[4]
Election results
Even though a majority of people voted to recall Dunn, 9,167 votes were needed to do so. Therefore, the recall was defeated, and Dunn was retained.
| Robin Dunn recall | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Recall | 3,213 | 81.42% | ||
| Retain | 733 | 18.58% | ||
| Election results via: Local News 8 March 10, 2015 | ||||
Ballot text
The language that appeared on the ballot read:[5]
| “ |
INSTRUCTIONS: To vote in favor of recalling Robin D. Dunn, place an X in the square at the right of the words “FOR RECALLING.” To vote against recalling Robin D. Dunn, place an X in the square at the right of the words “AGAINST RECALLING.” If you make a mistake on this ballot, request a new ballot from an election worker. Argument FOR The citizens and registered electors of the County of Jefferson County, respectfully demand that Robin D. Dunn, holding the office of Prosecutor in Jefferson County Idaho, be recalled by the registered electors of the County of Jefferson, for the following reasons, to-wit: Mr. Dunn in his role as County Prosecutor has engaged in a series of actions/representations on behalf of Jefferson County wherein he has various conflicts of interest. One such conflict was his representation during the Eagle Rock Sanitation lawsuit. These conflicts of interest significantly impact his ability to impartially represent the county and its electors. As a result of various decisions made in the execution of his office, the electors have lost confidence in Mr. Dunn’s ability to adequately represent the electors. Mr. Dunn does not meet the expectations and duties of his office and as such the electors believe his recall is in the best interest of Jefferson County. Argument AGAINST Jefferson County is covered by insurance. Almost all Idaho counties use the same carrier called ICRMP. This company covers claims filed by individuals and entities against the County. The insurance company hires its own attorneys; and, the County Prosecutor is not involved. Only a few claims fall outside of the insurance policy. Mr. Dunn has never had a conflict on insurance claims against the County or its officers because, in these situations, he does not represent the County. The insurance company handles these cases except on very exceptional circumstances. The County Commissioners make decisions on the manner of handling any exceptional claims and legal actions submitted to the County. The prosecutor does not make these decisions. Jefferson County has handled its legal affairs according to the constitution, statutes and local ordinances. Jefferson County has not deviated from this manner of handling claims or the administration of the office of the prosecuting attorney for over 50 years. FOR recalling Robin D. Dunn who holds office of Prosecutor in Jefferson County ............... [ ] AGAINST recalling Robin D. Dunn who holds office of Prosecutor in Jefferson County ....... [ ][6] |
” |
Recall supporters
The group leading the campaign against Dunn was called We the People of Jefferson County.[7]
Lyndsay Goody, a resident, headed the recall campaign. She stated, "People are tired and they are fed up and they are just exasperated with what we see as corruption." Goody said Dunn's law firm charged the county $18,000 to represent it in a court case. She continued, "It should have been his responsibility in the first place to represent the county."[3]
Goody also argued that former Rigby City Council Member Lawrence Blackburn stole money from a client of Dunn's law firm. Dunn went on to represent Blackburn in court and recused himself of his role as prosecuting attorney.[3]
Arguments
The recall campaign's website listed the following seven reasons why Dunn should have been recalled:
| “ |
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” |
| —We the People of Jefferson County[8] | ||
Recall opponents
Response from Robin Dunn
Dunn did not deny charging the county for his firm's involvement in a court case, but he said he did so at the request of county commissioners. He paid back the money charged to the county.[3]
Responding to Goody's claim about Blackburn, Dunn said, "I had already represented him. I had a built-in conflict."[3]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Idaho
Recall supporters needed to collect 2,824 signatures within 75 days of initiating the recall signature drive.[3] On December 2, 2014, 3,582 signatures were submitted at the Jefferson County Courthouse.[9] On December 17, 2014, County Clerk Christine Boulter announced that she found that enough valid signatures were turned in to force a recall election.[1]
See also
External links
Support
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Robin + Dunn + recall"
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Local News 8, "Jefferson County prosecutor to resign or face recall election," December 17, 2014
- ↑ Local News 8, "Dunn stays in office after failed recall election," March 10, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Local News 8, "Jefferson County prosecutor could face recall," September 26, 2014
- ↑ Idaho Politics Weekly, "Political Turmoil in Jefferson County," February 8, 2015
- ↑ Jefferson County Elections Department, "Elections," accessed March 9, 2015
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Recall Prosecutor Robin Dunn, "About Us," accessed March 9, 2015
- ↑ Recall Prosecutor Robin Dunn, "Homepage," accessed December 31, 2014
- ↑ KPVI, "Robin Dunn Recall Effort," December 2, 2014
