— Reprinted with permission from Redoubt News —
For over a month Speaker Bedke and other members of leadership have been railing on Rep. Heather Scott for remarks she made to Judy Boyle on December 1st. 2016. These remarks had to do with her frustration at Rep. Christy Perry receiving a committee chairmanship after scandalous headlines about an admitted affair with another legislator. Rep. Scott’s comments were a reference questioning if female legislators had to perform sexual favors in order to move up into leadership positions.
Granted she made a bad choice of words and certainly not politically correct enough for the ‘highly ethical’ House leadership. For her illicit comment, Rep. Scott was raked over the proverbial coals and removed from her assigned committee duties for a period of four weeks. She was required to apologize to many of the members of the legislature on numerous occasions, including Christy Perry who has been accused of misconduct herself for an alleged affair with Senator Guthrie.
Rep. Scott has been a target of the house leadership because of the liberty message she brought to the house upon winning her first term election two years ago. Heather was shunned by many of the establishment legislators but befriended by Rep. Judy Boyle. We believe from Rep. Scott’s perspective, it is always good to have a friend to watch your back in a swamp full of gators.
What was not expected was for Rep. Boyle to turn and bite her new friend by reporting to Speaker Bedke what Rep. Scott had said to her in a private conversation. One of our questions is why did Speaker Bedke wait for a month to act on this information instead of confronting Rep. Scott immediately? Could this have all been a plan to reveal Rep. Scott’s remarks at the beginning of the session to get the most embarrassment possible?
Perry was caught in a web of alleged sexual indiscretions and lies that should have placed her in the forefront of the Ethics Committee. Instead, she was given a Chairmanship and we believe protected from disciplinary action by Speaker Bedke. These decisions have been questioned by many citizens around the state but as usual, the citizens are ignored. Only the lobbyists and their fat wallets are acknowledged when it comes to our leadership.
It seems very auspicious for Speaker Bedke to wave his morality flag for all to see. He claims that he does not allow this type of talk or behavior on his watch. His self-righteousness is reeking and begging to be verified. We are about to provide you with a look at the real self-righteous Scott Bedke.
Attached to this article you will find a notarized affidavit from a former Secretary for the State Affairs Committee in 2012 when the Chairman was Thomas F. Loertscher. This affidavit will give you a clear idea of why Speaker Bedke came down so hard on Rep. Scott, as it appears he did not want any further investigation into a similar circumstance that he was involved in back in 2012.
Read the affidavit and you will understand what we are talking about. This is a clear case of the “Pot Calling the Kettle Black”.
Lissa Cochrane provided the affidavit gratis to us in hopes of exposing the immoral sexist conduct which prevails in our legislature. This affidavit includes names, dates, and specifics of what happened during the committee meeting on March 26, 2012. It states that Rep. Scott Bedke and Tom Perry Esq., Office of the Governor, had a very graphic discussion during this meeting in the State House which was far more offensive and damaging than anything Rep. Scott has said.
The documents continue in (Item 9) to describe the conversation in which Rep. Bedke proceeded to discuss “his pleasure in engaging in fellatio in graphic detail, as well as his sexual exploits outside of his marriage which has included younger women.” He described these encounters as “like having sex with your kids” according to Ms. Cochrane’s affidavit.
According to (Item 10) of the affidavit, Rep. Bedke made remarks that Cochrane would have to have sex if she was a member of the Legislature and wanted to get something done.
In (Item 11) it states that Mr. Perry also ridiculed and bullied her throughout the meeting about being “old” as well as making derogatory remarks about women in general being “dumb” and expressed his dislike of “fat” women and made racial remarks.
Cochrane in (Item 12) names former Rep. Janice McGeachin as having witnessed the conversation and behavior, and her reaction to Mr. Perry’s intimidating and unprofessional behavior caused her to search for a “panic button” at her desk.
Rep. Bedke never apologized for his crass and unprofessional behavior and never reported Mr. Perry’s behavior to the Governor’s office.
Ms. Cochrane attempted to report the incident to the Governor’s office via the Governor’s website and telephoned his office to report Mr. Perry’s unprofessional behavior which included sexist and racial remarks. No one from the Governor’s office ever responded.
She also reported it to the Idaho State Police (ISP) but, she states, no investigation was ever initiated. After multiple attempts, ISP finally told her that it was “a civil matter.”
Item 19 refers to the fact that Ms. Cochrane notified Senator and attorney Bart Davis in August of 2013 of Mr. Bedke’s unprofessional behavior towards an Attaché/Committee Secretary. No action was ever taken.
Ms. Cochrane was contacted by Senator Bart Davis with a rebuttal to the allegations. He states that he talked to his client, Scott Bedke, and also to Tom Perry, who both denied the conversations took place. (See attached letters) It does make us wonder, however; if this was not a breach of ethical conduct when both are members of the Legislature?
As you can see, Speaker Bedke not only seems to condone this unprofessional and immoral behavior on his watch, but is a major participant. This would suggest that the establishment elite have their own set of rules and morality only comes into play when others are not willing to “go along to get along.”
Political Correctness may be on the way out, as indicative by the historical upset of the Trump election, but it should not be used as a tool by those that cannot practice it. Speaker Bedke needs to understand that no one is above the law including legislative leadership.
How many more indiscretions are out there that have not been brought forward for fear of retribution by the crony establishment leaders of the legislature? Anyone for “Term Limits”?
