Hale resigns amid website scandal

SANDPOINT — Bonner County Undersheriff David Hale resigned amid a scandal involving a phony website he set up for Sheriff Daryl Wheeler’s political rival in the May 17 GOP primary.

“I have accepted the resignation of David Hale as Undersheriff of Bonner County,” Wheeler said in a news release issued on Thursday.

The release contains nothing else. It made no mention of the basis for Hale’s resignation, although it comes seven days after it was revealed that Hale had set up a spoof website in the name of Terry Ford, who’s challenging Wheeler for the Republican nomination for sheriff.

Ford’s campaign contends the rudimentary website was designed to make Ford appear amateurish.

It featured a blurry shot of Ford at a speaking event and appeared to take shots at his Arkansas roots, his retirement from Idaho State Police and the expiration of his Peace Officers Standards & Training certification while in retirement.

Although an assumed name was apparently used to register the website, it was traced back to computer servers operated by Hale.

Hale admitted creating the site, but denied that it was done to disparage Ford.

“It’s not an impersonation website. It’s information about Terry Ford,” Hale said.

However, an earlier iteration of the one-page site stated that it was “Paid for by Friends of Terry Ford for Sheriff.” But that statement was removed once the site’s true provenance became clear.

Tim Fry, a software developer working with the Ford campaign, said backlinking — posting links from authentic sites — was used to give the inauthentic website legitimacy and boost its ranking in Internet searches. Fry discovered the impostor site earlier this month.

The unofficial site was posted as a link on a personal website registered in Wheeler’s name, but that link was later removed around the same time the “paid for” language was scrubbed from the bogus Ford website.

Wheeler has disavowed the website, which Hale said Wheeler was unaware of its existence.

The Idaho Attorney General’s Office and Idaho State Police are reviewing the matter with Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall.

“I am working with the Attorney General’s Office at this time after consulting with ISP,” said Marshall.

Marshall said the website may have run afoul of Idaho laws governing election campaign contributions and vexpenditures, although he said the matter remains under review.

“It is a complicated statute and we will be thorough before making a decision,” said Marshall, adding that Hale’s resignation will be factored in.