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BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho commissioners have asked a county treasurer to surrender her county credit card.
Ada County Treasurer Vicky McIntyre, who is running for state treasurer, is accused of using the county credit card to make personal purchases.
The purchases were discovered during a routine audit, Ada County Clerk Chris Rich said.
Rich cited four incidents of personal use of McIntyre's county credit card in 2016; two since then; and another incident in which McIntyre sought reimbursement for a charge that already had been paid on the credit card. Her reimbursement check, which hadn't yet been cashed, was canceled.
It is not the first time that McIntyre has used the county credit card for personal use, Rich said
Ada County Commissioner Jim Tibbs said McIntyre used it for personal purchases multiple times, including to pay for taxis, hockey tickets and other entertainment purchases during a Las Vegas conference in March.
McIntyre said she has already paid back the county.
"But the fact is that the procedure, the policy is that you're not to use the county credit card for personal use, period," Tibbs said. "It doesn't say anything about you can use it after you promise to pay us back."
McIntyre told the Spokesman-Review on Tuesday that the commissioners' request is "crazy" and that she would refuse.
McIntyre maintains the GOP commissioners are retaliating against her for submitting a complaint to the Idaho Attorney General's Office in 2014 about the commissioners receiving campaign contributions from the city's trash contractor.
"We can't order her to do anything," Tibbs said of McIntyre. "We can't discipline her because she has done this. The only people that can take action are the voters."
In the GOP primary, McIntyre faces two opponents: Former state Rep. Julie Ellsworth, a former House majority caucus chair; and businessman Tom Kealey, a retired CPA and corporate executive who co-owns the Chicago Connection pizza chain. No Democrats are running.
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