Hawkins, OVIC members choose side with dollars

Campaign donors have chosen their sides over the Hawkins stateline development controversy in the coming primary election for Whitman County commissioners from District 1.

The county’s deal to fund $15 million worth of infrastructure at the company’s long-proposed stateline shopping center and the lawsuit that followed by the citizen Organization to Void Illegal Conduct, or OVIC, is the top issue of this year’s primary election, as witnessed by this week’s debates.

Now both sides, Hawkins and OVIC, are putting their money behind their chosen candidates, according to this week’s filings with the state Public Disclosure Commission.

District 1 Commissioner Greg Partch received a $250 contribution from Robert Phillips of Meridian, Ida. Phillips is president of Hawkins Companies. Partch’s campaign also received $250 from Michelle Phillips, who lives at the same address in Meridian.

First Wind, which is currently building a wind farm in north Whitman County, also donated $500 to Partch’s campaign. Partch also has received a donation from Pullman contractor Kevin Kirkman.

“It should then come as no surprise that people or businesses with similar views are supporting me for re-election,” said Partch. “I welcome that support, not only financially but in their other means of support as well.”

Partch said he previously turned down a campaign donation from another Hawkins representative, but decided to accept the Phillips’ donations.

“If you limit yourself to only $25 contributions, you’re not on a level playing field,” he said.

His challengers, Art Swannack of Lamont and Bill Tensfeld of Rosalia, though, see a potential conflict in accepting a donation from a firm with which the county is negotiating a development contract.

“It’s not like it’s an after-the-fact sort of ‘thank you for the work you’ve done,’ like the First Wind thing,” said Swannack. “It’s in the middle of negotations right now.”

“That doesn’t surprise me at all,” said Tensfeld. “It’s no surprise for him to have that sort of support from them.”

Attorneys for the county are negotiating an amendment to a contract approved by Partch and O’Neill in January.

“This tells me they’re not trying to do anything significant to change the terms of the contract; they’re not pushing too hard to fix the many problems in that contract,” said Swannack.

Commissioner Michael Largent voted against the contract amendment in January. He has since donated $100 to Swannack’s campaign to unseat his current fellow commissioner.

Largent declined to speak specifically about the Swannack donation, but he did say, “he’s a friend of mine. Has been for a long time.”

Swannack has been the recipient of campaign donations made by members of OVIC group.

“Is that a conflict?” asked Partch. “I’m not surprised about that.”

Swannack said he accepted the support of the members of OVIC because they shared ideals.

“I donated to OVIC before I decided to run because I believe they were pushing for answers to some very good, very pertinent questions,” Swannack said.

Tensfeld’s funding has come primarily from individual donors, with a $200 donation from the Spokane Regional Labor Council as his main political action committee donor.

Through Monday, Partch had raised $3,799, Swannack $9,471 and Tensfeld $9,045.

In the District 2 race, incumbent Commissioner Pat O’Neill had a warchest of $3,484 Monday, while challenger Dean Kinzer’s campaign fund was $3,495.

Kinzer, too, has benefited from donations by members of the OVIC plaitiffs, most of them located in the Colfax area.

O’Neill’s top campaign contributor was the Motley and Motley construction firm in Pullman. The firm donated $900.