Kootenai County Is Being Played By Bruce Mattare And Bob Norris

Media Source: The Idaho Sheriff

The Kootenai County Republican Central Committee, KCRCC Chairman Brent Regan, Sheriff Bob Norris, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Employee Association including Nick Franssen who is the President of the KCSA, County Commissioner and Special Deputy Bruce Mattare, and the North Idaho Republicans all appear to be at war with each other. The finger pointing and blame shifting is unprecedented between these officials and political organizations.

Kootenai County Republican Central Committee Chairman Brent Regan releases this statement on May 18, 2024:

WOW!! Sheriff Norris says he was deceived by the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Employee Association Lodge #43 Union. How can we ever trust the FOP again??? The RINO’s and Establishment are trying to fool our very own Sheriff and they are certainly trying to fool YOU into thinking the NIR candidates are anything but Never-Trumpers ! Watch Sheriff Norris in his own words!

Go to GemStateHeist.org for more information.

Brent Regan’s statement was in response to what appears to be Sheriff Bob Norris’ triangulation between the North Idaho Republicans, the KCRCC, and the Deputy Sheriff’s Association.

In Sheriff Bob Norris’ statement regarding a flyer that was sent in the mail to voters registered in Kootenai County Norris states that, “I want to make it very clear that the Sheriff or the Sheriff’s office did not have any coordination or participation in this flyer whatsoever. My campaign, the office of Sheriff, and myself, we do not coordinate any political strategies whatsoever with the employee association. None.”

Norris goes on to say that the employee association asked for use of the official Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office badge on the flyer and that Norris himself admits to granting permission for use of the badge. Norris then goes on to say that the intended use for the image of the KCSO badge was to be for elected officials that the Sheriff’s Association had endorsed. Norris then states that, “I did not know that they were going to use it for precinct committee positions.”

Norris then continues in his video statement (shown above) to say that he supports the Idaho Republican platform and that he also supports the KCRCC.

Also note that Sheriff Bob Norris’ statement in response to the use of the official KCSO badge by the Deputy Sheriff’s Association, is hosted on the Kootenai County GOP (KCRCC) YouTube channel. Why did Sheriff Bob Norris not release an independent statement regarding his actions but rather released his statement through the Kootenai County GOP? Norris’ choice to release this video statement via the Kootenai County GOP is especially curious considering that KCRCC Chairman Brent Regan and Norris now seem to be battling through differences as to what Bob Norris was specifically saying (or what he meant) in his official statement.

Then in an even more bizarre turn of events, Nick Franssen, President of the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Employee Association FOP Lodge #43 releases the following statement,

 

Today, I, with men and women I serve with, were called liars. We were accused of deceiving the man we serve under. We are being accused of half truths and misleading an elected official.”

 

Franssen goes on to say that, “The same KCRCC that makes those running for office bow before them, also made a hit peice (sic) against those who proudly serve and protect this community through real sacrifice and dedication.”

How many masters can Sheriff Bob Norris serve?

Bob Norris is in a sticky situation having to defend himself against KCRCC Chairman Brent Regan’s comments that the FOP deceived Norris. Norris states that he supports the KCRCC, North Idaho Republicans, and the FOP but then is forced to issue a clarification about his video statements:

The FOP did not lie to me. I gave them permission to use the badge. I intentionally avoided knowledge of its specific use to prevent any perception of coordination. I fully support the members of the FOP Lodge. The accusation that they lied to me is troubling. 

Here’s where things get even more muddy, deceptive, and highly unethical.

While Norris himself may be able to maintain plausible deniability, there’s hard evidence proving that Norris by way of association is currently colluding with the Kootenai County Deputy Sheriff’s Association and has since 2020. There was proof of this collusion in 2020 when Norris first ran for Sheriff in Kootenai County and his campaign manager at the time, Bruce Mattare, was documented as editing and approving an ad being placed in the Coeur d’Alene Press that disparaged Norris’ 2020 opponents including John Michael Bauer. In 2020 the evidence of this collusion was brushed off by authorities and the Kootenai County Deputy Sheriff’s Association was allowed to amend their reports to abdicate themselves from the responsibility of violating Idaho campaign laws.

Bob Norris and Bruce Mattare’s collusion with the Deputy Sheriff’s Association continues in 2024

In a recent 2024 campaign rally that Sheriff Bob Norris held, he bragged that current County Commissioner and Special Deputy Bruce Mattare serves as his public relations manager. In Norris’ video statement being made about Commissioner Bruce Mattare, Norris states the following, “Sheriff’s offices of our size generally have on contract a public relations firm. I am using his (Mattare’s) services which generally would be about the $25,000 to $30,000 range.” (see the video clip including Norris’ statement about Mattare in Dan Wilson’s full video rebuttle below)

Dan Wilson, who is currently running for Kootenai County Sheriff, asks the question, “If there is no collaboration between Bob Norris, the Deputy Sheriff’s Association, the North Idaho Republicans, and the KCRCC, all that triangulation that’s going on, then why is Bruce Mattare’s wife Carla Mattare who is currently the Secretary of the KCRCC also running the page (or was until she got caught) ran the Facebook page for the Deputy Sheriff’s Employee Association?” (Dan Wilson’s full video response can be viewed at the end of this page)

Could Nick Franssen, President of the FOP, believe his own statement that, “No, the voter guide and candidates we support do not get vetted or approval by the Sheriff.”? Or is it more likely that every one of these individuals and organizations including Brent Regan, the KCRCC, the Deputy Employee Association, Bruce Mattare, Sheriff Bob Norris, and the North Idaho Republicans are working in unison to support those they want in office and then in-fighting about who is to blame for what when any one of them get caught performing unethical behaviors?

Sheriff Bob Norris berates Kootenai County Commissioner candidate Mark Eberlein for use of the KCSO badge on his social media

Mark Eberlein is the 2024 KCRCC recommended candidate for Kootenai County Commissioner District 1. On Marc’s campaign website (or on one of his social media accounts) at https://marc4idaho.com/, somewhere around April 8, 2024 there was a photo displayed which included some form of the KCSO badge that Marc used to show his support of local law enforcement.

Sheriff Bob Norris responded to Marc Eberlein’s use of this photograph by stating the following in a formal letter on official Kootenai County Sheriff letterhead:

Dear Mr. Eberlein,

 

As the Sheriff of Kootenai County, it was brought to my attention that you posted a campaign message on social media that included the Sheriff’s Office badge.

Norris continues on his official letterhead to disparage the work that Eberlein did during his tenure as county commissioner from 2015 through 2018. It appears Norris was using his currently elected position as Sheriff to campaign against Eberlein cloaked as Norris’ concern for Eberlein’s use of the KCSO badge citing that it could potentially be misleading to the public.

By Sheriff Bob Norris’ own statements above released to Eberlein and shared with the public on April 8, 2024, use of the badge is at the sole discretion of the county Sheriff in Idaho. “According to our county attorney, use of the badge is at the sole discretion of the county Sheriff in Idaho. After seeing how upset many Sheriff’s office personnel were at your unauthorized use of the badge, I am requesting that you remove the image off any of your campaign materials and/or statements and not use it in any future communications.”

Norris now claims that when the badge was used on the KCSO Employee Association FOP Lodge #43 political flyer that went out in early May, that he only had knowledge that the image of the badge was being used for “elected officials that they had endorsed. I did not know that they were going to use it for precinct committee positions.” However, on this same flyer (shown below) are Presidential Candidate Donald Trump, County Commissioner Candidate Dale Gibboney, and County Commissioner Candidate Brett Surplus. Aside from Norris himself, the only other currently elected Kootenai County office holder on this political flyer is County Prosecutor Stanley Mortensen.

Why would Norris grant the use of the badge for distribution on a political piece containing the Deputy Sheriff’s Association recommended candidates without understanding how it would be used when just months ago Norris demands that Marc Eberlein remove a photograph containing a KCSO badge concerned that it would mislead citizens? Does Norris now lack the discretion or ethical persuasions he seemed to have had two months ago in his demands of Eberlein? Why is he now using his position as Sheriff to grant the use of the KCSO badge to the Deputy Sheriff’s Association? Would Norris allow the use of the KCSO badge if he himself were not being endorsed or if he himself did not personally endorse the other candidates on the FOP’s campaign flyer? This same political marketing piece containing the KCSO badge not only serves to position these FOP recommended candidates as your best options for “law and order” but also serves to discredit the political opposition of Norris, Gibboney, and Surplus.

Dan Wilson challenges Norris in his video statement below that Norris has “been on a ‘Law and Order’ campaign for weeks with Brett Surplus, Dale Gibboney, and Stanley Mortensen. In fact, on the Deputy Sheriff Association’s website they speak glowingly about Norris and it is a fact that Norris attends numerous public events surrounded by members of the Deputy Sheriff’s Association or its PAC. Give us a break. You don’t actually expect us to believe that you have nothing to do with shaping the direction that these deputy gangs are trying to get you to do.”

Wilson concludes that Norris failed in his attempt to set the record straight in his video “clarification” regarding the FOP’s use of the KCSO badge but rather he blames others and fails to accept responsibility which is something that Wilson says is common practice for Norris as he has observed him over the last several years.

The General Election is on November 5, 2024.

For more information on voter registration in Kootenai County, Idaho or to register to vote visit https://www.kcgov.us/329/Registration-Voting.

Dan Wilson for Kootenai County Sheriff 2024
285 W Prairie Shopping Ctr, #530
Hayden, ID 83835
info@theidahosheriff.com

Paid for by Dan Wilson for Kootenai County Sheriff, Luann Hopkins treasurer. © 2023 Dan Wilson for Kootenai County Sheriff. All rights reserved.