Warning signs have already popped up about what Idaho Attorney General-elect Raul Labrador may do with the office.
He has hired two out-of-state attorneys and put them in key positions. Neither are yet licensed to practice in Idaho, according to a report in the Idaho Press.
Labrador is an immigration attorney, former state legislator and congressman, and was once the chairman of the Idaho Republican Party. It is inconceivable that he couldn’t find qualified Idaho attorneys for the powerful posts. It is impossible that none of the 5,549 active attorneys listed on the Idaho State Bar Association’s website are qualified or willing to serve.
One of his new appointees is David Dewhirst, who became solicitor general of Montana in January 2021. He will become chief deputy attorney general.
The other is Theo Wold, appointed as solicitor general, who is a former Department of Justice attorney and advisor to President Donald Trump.
Dewhirst was a litigator with the libertarian Freedom Foundation that the Center for Media and Democracy states is “well-known for advancing aggressive techniques to dismantle unions.”
Wold was a staff attorney for conservative Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and is a visiting fellow with the Claremont Institute’s Center for the American Way of Life that calls for the formation of a “new Right.”
Outgoing Attorney General Lawrence Wasden served well for 20 years. He put the law first and politics second. He did what attorneys are supposed to do. He advised his client, the state of Idaho, on what the law said and whether official actions were legal and defensible.
Labrador should be more concerned about the legal than the political credentials of his hires. Otherwise, the next four years could be a very rough ride indeed.
“Our View” represents the opinion of the newspaper editorial board, which is made up of members of its board of directors. Remarks may be directed to editorialboard@mtexpress.com.
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Well well well. This is a first. The IME is suddenly calling for Idaho Establishment Republicans, led by Gov Little-Man, to lead the charge under our new AG Labrador! Never thought I would see the day. Congrats IME for your about face supporting the establishment. Not sure how your liberal readership will feel about your sudden turn to Gov Little-Man's camp, but hey, brave new world and all that.
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