Idaho Attorney General’s Office probes allegations of corruption in Caldwell
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Idaho AG opens probe into alleged quid pro quo in Caldwell mayoral campaign.
- Phillips emailed AG alleging developer funding of Council President Brad Doty.
- Doty and developer deny the claims; AG declines comment during active probe.
The Idaho Attorney General’s Office is investigating a complaint alleging a possible quid pro quo between a Caldwell City Council member running for mayor and a local developer — a charge the two men say is false.
The investigation was prompted by an email from Caldwell mayoral candidate Eric Phillips, who asked Attorney General Raúl Labrador to look into “possible bribery, unlawful campaign financing, conflicts of interest and misuse of public funds” involving an opponent in the Nov. 4 election, City Council President Brad Doty, and developer Lee Gientke, the managing partner at Pontifex Capital, a Boise firm that develops and manages real estate.
Phillips and Doty are competing against incumbent Mayor Jarom Wagoner, who is running for re-election on the Nov. 4 ballot.
“Our office takes all allegations of corruption seriously and is investigating the matter,” spokesman Damon Sidur of the Attorney General’s Office said by email. “We will not comment further as it is an active investigation.”
In the complaint, Phillips cites an Aug. 18 City Council meeting at which a community member alleged during a public comment period that Gientke, who was seeking approval that night for $175,000 in Urban Renewal Agency funds for a housing project he’s developing, had told people he was committing money, “rumored to be $165,000,” toward Doty’s mayoral campaign.
Doty called the allegations slanderous and defamatory. He told the Idaho Statesman that he believes the complaint is politically motivated.
“If there are concerns raised, I fully support any proper review through the appropriate legal and ethical channels,” Doty said by email. “At the same time, I want to be clear that I have not engaged in any unlawful or unethical conduct. My record speaks for itself, and I will not allow anyone with no factual basis to question my personal and public character whatsoever.”
Gienkte also denied the allegations. He has not donated to Doty’s bid for mayor, according to the state’s campaign-finance records. Gientke is chairman of Leadership Idaho LLC, a political action committee registered on Oct. 2 that has so far made no campaign contributions, according to campaign-finance records.
He told the Idaho Statesman by phone that the Urban Renewal Agency funds for his project in downtown Caldwell would be disbursed annually over the next 15 years. He’s expecting the first payment in 18 to 24 months.
Developer calls allegation ‘dumb on the face of it’
The project at the corner of North 5th Avenue and East Chicago Street includes seven homes, called the Chicago St. Cottages, with private garages and covered porches. The homes, which range from 900 to 1,200 square feet, are expected to be priced starting at $280,000.
“I haven’t given Brad any money,” Gientke told the Idaho Statesman by phone. “It is dumb on the face of it. Why would I spend the amount of money that they’re alleging I’m spending on this campaign to get paid back like $12,000 a year for the next 15 years?”
One of Doty’s campaign signs was planted in the lot Gientke is developing earlier this fall, according to a photo reviewed by the Statesman. Gientke declined to say whether he supports Doty’s campaign for mayor. But he doesn’t live in Caldwell and won’t be voting in the election.
Phillips told the Statesman by phone that the sign is what first gave him pause. He had heard rumors about campaign donations and questioned why Doty would have a campaign sign in the lot while also voting as a City Council member on whether the development should get taxpayer reimbursements from the Urban Renewal Agency.
“Once I saw that sign there while these votes are taking place, I was like, ‘Whoa, maybe this stuff’s true,’” Phillips said by phone.
Gientke said Tuesday by phone that his firm owns a lot of property in Canyon County, and campaign signs often get placed on them during election season, some with permission and some without. He said Doty did not ask him for permission to put a campaign sign on the lot, but it doesn’t bother him, because they have a relationship. He added that he has not been contacted by the Attorney General’s Office.
“Does somebody putting up a sign on their property indicate bribery? Does it warrant an attorney general complaint?” Gientke said. “It’s so far-fetched.”
Gientke accused Phillips of being anti-growth and anti-new housing, noting that at a mayoral candidate forum on Sept. 23, Phillips broke with his two opponents and said that as mayor he would support a temporary moratorium on new apartment complexes. Phillips said a moratorium would allow the city to make necessary infrastructure improvements first.
Phillips is the former director of student safety and emergency operations for the Caldwell School District. He also runs the Caldwell, Idaho Community and Crime Facebook page.
“We need to tap the brakes a little bit and look at where we’re at,” Phillips said during the forum. “We need to get that support going so when we do grow, we have all the pieces to the puzzle to make sure we can be safe, our services aren’t sacrificed and we don’t have to be continually asked for more levies and bonds.”
Phillips said in his email to the Attorney General’s Office that the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission has recommended denial of Gientke’s development, saying it didn’t meet the goals of Caldwell’s Comprehensive Plan, such as creating “vibrant gathering spaces.” City Council members argued that adding sidewalks and light poles could satisfy the requirement, and they approved the project in August by a 4-2 vote.
This story was originally published October 28, 2025 at 1:38 PM.
