Sheriff’s office searches home of ‘Concerned Citizens’ founder
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POLSON — The Lake County Sheriff’s Office seized several computers last week from the home of a man who claims to be the sole author of a website accusing the department of corruption.
Former Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Terry Leonard was served a search warrant at his Polson home last Thursday afternoon, before deputies took his computers, including “my 7-year-old son’s computer and my wife’s iPad,” a move that he called “bullying and intimidation” by the sheriff’s department.
No charges have been filed in the case, but County Attorney Mitch Young said probable cause for the search warrant was for criminal defamation and violation of an election statute, “Election materials not to be anonymous.”
“We did, as a result of the warrant, seize computers and other digital storage devices,” Young said, adding that the investigation is ongoing.
LCSO Det. Rick Lenz confirmed that Leonard’s home was searched, but could not comment further. A search warrant signed by District Judge C.B. McNeil on Sept. 29 authorized Lenz to seize personal computers, business records, digital storage devices, printouts of e-mails and “any other evidence of the crimes of election materials not to be anonymous and criminal defamation.”
“It’s just a bullying tactic that the county’s using to try to keep citizens from addressing these issues,” Leonard said.
Those “issues” involving the sheriff’s department, as Leonard charges on asksheriffluckylarson.com, include “misappropriated mil levy money,” “SRT T-shirts condoning violence/death/gore,” and “missing/stolen ammunition.” On the website, Leonard urges citizens of Lake County to ask Sheriff Lucky Larson and Undersheriff Jay Doyle about the issues and hold elected officials accountable for their actions.
According to Montana Code Annotated 45-8-212, “Whoever, with knowledge of its defamatory character, orally, in writing, or by any other means, including by electronic communication … communicates any defamatory matter to a third person without the consent of the person defamed commits the offense of criminal defamation.”
“Criminal defamation doesn’t apply if it’s true,” Leonard said, adding that everything on asksheriffluckylarson.com is true.
The statute on “Election materials not to be anonymous,” MCA 13-35-225, states, “All communications advocating the success or defeat of a candidate, political party, or ballot issue through any broadcasting station, newspaper, magazine, outdoor advertising facility, direct mailing, poster, handbill, bumper sticker, internet website, or other form of general political advertising must clearly and conspicuously include the attribution ‘paid for by’ followed by the name and address of the person who made or financed the expenditure for the communication.”
A complaint filed with the Montana Commission of Political Practices by Lanny VanMeter, secretary-treasurer for sheriff candidate Jay Doyle’s campaign, alleges that Leonard and Independent sheriff candidate Steve Kendley are part of an illegal Political Action Committee that, in addition to running the asksheriffluckylarson.com website, has paid for several newspaper ads campaigning against Doyle. The ads were attributed to a group calling itself Concerned Citizens of Lake County, which VanMeter alleges includes both Leonard and Kendley.
Leonard says his website has nothing to do with the upcoming election, and Kendley has denied any affiliation with the Concerned Citizens group.
“I will happily go to court, and the truth will come out,” Leonard said, speculating on what will happen if charges are filed.
Commissioner of Political Practices Dennis Unsworth said the search of Leonard’s home was not related to the Commission’s investigation of Concerned Citizens of Lake County.
