Democratic candidate calls questions over top staffers resigning a “double standard”

IDAHO FALLS — Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Rep. Paulette Jordan said the scrutiny she’s faced over top campaign staffers resigning is because she is the first woman and native American who could become Idaho’s governor.

“These sorts of questions I think come with the double standard of being the first of anything,” Jordan said during an Idaho Falls City Club Forum Thursday. “The first woman in our state — which is wholly our responsibility to make happen.”

Jordan’s comments came less than a week after her campaign manager, communications director and event scheduler suddenly resigned.

Hours before the Idaho Falls forum, the Idaho Statesman reported former Jordan campaign manager Michael Rosenow resigned because of the creation of a “super PAC” the Jordan campaign has been advising on and fundraising for.

“I will have no part or complacency with this PAC,” Rosenow wrote in his Sept. 14 resignation letter obtained by the Statesman.

During the forum, Jordan called the staff changes a “small little shift” in her campaign operation.

“Anytime there is anyone who does not keep to the good message that my campaign represents, then, of course, they are going to have to look elsewhere,” Jordan said.

The staffers who resigned signed non-disclosure agreements and when asked why, Jordan claimed the media, specifically the Idaho Statesman, twisted the truth.

“You know the media really lack integrity — with the Statesman it’s unfortunate,” she said. “Given that lack of integrity has certainly misconstrued the reality of everything.”

Jordan did not give any specific examples of untruths reported by the Statesman or other media.

Jordan explained nondisclosure agreements are common and one of her senior consultants recommended the agreements be applied to her campaign going into the general election.

“People should look into the history of that,” Jordan said. “I know there are a lot of campaigns here in Idaho that do do that.”

Republican gubernatorial candidate Lt. Governor Brad Little’s campaign is not requiring its staff to sign nondisclosure agreements.

When asked about her fundraising, Jordan said she hopes Little will get the same questions.

“We will clearly have reports that will come out and will show where every single dollar is coming from,” she said. “In fact, money does come from Idaho. We’ve had over 12,000 people contribute.”

Throughout the forum, other questions were raised about her various stances on topics such as legalizing marijuana and horse racing.

Jordan said she is not opposed to horse racing, but she is opposed to Idaho’s Prop 1 which she said would require too much regulation.

She is in favor of legalizing marijuana saying Idaho would not be alone in doing so.