Idaho 97 Applaud Ada Commission Sheriff Pick, But Caution that Process Endangered Idahoans

BOISE - The Idaho 97 Project applauds the Ada County Commissioners’ 2-1 decision today to appoint Eagle Police Chief Lt. Matt Clifford to replace Ada County Sheriff Bartlett, who resigned suddenly on May 31. BUT we caution the public that it was too close a call, and the process endangered Idahoans. The Idaho 97 urged the public to be vocal opponents to the top choice of the Ada County Republican central committee, Doug Traubel, who has written disturbing things about Jews, Nazis, Black men, poverty, women, and rape, and affiliates with the “constitutional” sheriff movement, which organized to attack the United States of America on January 6th. Idaho 97 followers sent in 465 emails in opposition to Traubel’s nomination.

Mike Satz, the executive director of the Idaho 97 Project stated:

“We’re relieved the commissioners made the right choice with Lt. Matt Clifford, but make no mistake: We got way too close to having an anti-Semitic, misogynist person who has made questionable comments about race and who holds radical and extremist beliefs for sheriff in Ada County. We’re calling on the Ada County Republican committee — who sent Traubel as their number one pick — to think about how poorly this reflects on them as citizens of Ada County. The values expressed by the committee’s first choice fall far from the values held by the vast majority of Ada County’s citizens and those of Idahoans broadly.”