It’s always fun times the last month before primaries to see what the Sunshine Reports reflect. The moderate candidates are the best, because they typically see a Ha-huge spike in donations. Trust fund kid Peter Riggs is no different, his April report hit about the way we predicted.
For the first three months of the year Pete had a total of $4,050.16 donated. Not bad, but not quite what we expected from prior years. Of course he had a little help we’ll mention in a bit. In April, that all changed. He raked in $15,400.00. He had PAC’s come outta the woodwork, along with a host of the usual moderate suspects chipping in. That’s a lotta dough.
But there is much more to the picture
that his Sunshine Reports don’t reflect. In Idaho, anyone can make an Independent Expenditure, to pay for ads to support or oppose a candidate. To date Pete has had three full color ads paid for by The Idaho REALTORS ® PAC (more at bottom of post). That wasn’t cheap. We don’t know exactly how much they spent, because they didn’t fill out their sunshine reports properly. In the 2019 Idaho Sunshine Laws Manual it clearly states the following on page 11, section (3):
“The statement shall contain the following information: (a) the name and
address of any person to whom an expenditure in excess of fifty dollars ($50.00)
has been made by any such person in support of or in opposition to any such
candidate or issue during the reporting period, together with the amount, date and purpose of each such expenditure; and (b) the total sum of all expenditures made in support of or in opposition to any such candidate or measure.”
REALTORS PAC
As can be seen in this screenshot, the expenditures 
for April 2020 do not show where the funds went. This is the only report this rather large PAC has made this year. Notice their are only two expenditures listed, for a total of $29,500 to SGS, Inc. This is a Florida company that specializes in campaign mail outs, robo calls, and advertising. The REALTORS PAC paid them to design and send out three mail-outs, and put “The Idaho REALTORS ® PAC” as the sender.
But this is where things get fishy. Max Pond is the treasurer of this PAC. While the donations are all claimed, the expenditures are lacking. They show only $29,500, but in reality that number is $64,200. Go to the Idaho SoS website at THIS ADDRESS and type in REALTORS PAC. Under expenditures you’ll see 15 are claimed under the name “Max Pond” for a total of $34,700. There is no form to download to view these, nor are they claimed on the REALTORS 
PAC Sunshine Report. But this is another battle for another day….consider this a preview.
As best we can tell from the REALTORS PAC oddball report, they spent an average of $2,669.23 per mail-out. So this would be an additional $8,007.69 generously given to Pete by one of the most powerful PACs in Idaho. Add to this, we’ve heard reports that the Idaho Prosperity Fund PAC has paid for a Riggs mailer as well. That’d bump Pete’s donated mailers to about $10,700.
ANALYSIS
Why would Pete have so much money behind him? The Boise power cabal wants another yes man. Someone with a political pedigree like Pete’s that will bow to their ever command and be a good little boy. Pete isn’t wanting to go change things in Boise, or be a voice for the people. He’s just another lackey for Chicken Little, King Bedke, and their ilk. He’ll stand for nothing, and will only comply.
It ain’t over either folks. In the next few weeks we’ll see even more mailers paid for by disingenuous PACs and the deep pockets of moderates. Pete is the do-nothing they want in Boise.
On a side note. In the mailers, why does Pete look like that guy who tried to sell 
me a rusted ’74 Pinto that was only firing on 3 cylinders for a steal at only $25K? “He knows what he’s got, no low ballers.” Well his campaign is the same way. Overpriced, won’t run, and has an endless set of problems you’ll never fix. Just don’t hit the rear bumper of his campaign, it might explode into flames.
Chester
