Report: Bungled Boondoggle Boise Investigation Exposed

After spending over six hundred thousand dollars, the overpriced investigation concerning racial allegations involving the Boise Police Department is over. The analysis and the exorbitant price were the brainchild of Boise Mayor Lauren McClean, who must answer why she wasted so much of the taxpayer's money.

The Boise mayor demanded an out-of-state investigation of the police department after social media reports involving a former police captain's statements. Mayor McLean held a press conference urging any Boise police officer to resign if they were a racist. The investigation was conducted not by the police department, the Ada County Prosecutor's Office, an Idaho or regional law firm, but by an expensive Washington DC-based firm.

The law firm told the Boise City Council they could find no evidence of racism within the Boise Police Department. The Idaho Statesman reported that the firm wanted to charge more money to continue the investigation, which led nowhere. 

The paper obtained emails where the law firm, Steptoe & Johnson, said they needed more money in the neighborhood of two million dollars to continue the investigation. The city said they wanted to keep the cost around $500,000. 

You know it's a horrible day for Mayor McLean to get this lecture from the Idaho Statesman. 

"If Bromwich was estimating a study could cost as much as $2 million, be upfront with the council and the public, and let the taxpayers know. 

Here's the other thing to consider: It's clear from the emails obtained by the Statesman that $500,000 probably wasn't going to go very far.

Had McLean simply been open and honest, a better decision could have been made. If, after being upfront, honest, and transparent with the public, the city had to walk away from the deal, then walk away."

Upfront? Honest? Transparent? Those attributes have been missing from the current mayor's office since she her election. We believe the mayor was so convinced of rampant unsubstantiated police racism that she failed to consider another perspective or give the Boise Police Department the benefit of the doubt. 

This year, the mayor's lack of financial judgment and reckless spending should concern every Boise voter. A more rational choice could've prevented this embarrassing expense to all Boise taxpayers. Or perhaps, giving the Boise Police the same benefit of the doubt that the mayor gives to other groups.