KOOTENAI COUNTY, Idaho — A woman has filed an intent to sue the Kootenai County Sheriff.
The sheriff is offering a $10,000 reward for help in that potential lawsuit.
The sheriff's office put out a statement on Tuesday, offering $10,000 of Sheriff Robert B. Norris' own money to prove he did not make "derogatory statements" about a woman during a campaign event in April.
That woman is suing Norris personally for defamation.
The sheriff posted the statement on the official sheriff's office letterhead and Facebook page, raising concerns about legality.
Many viewers are raising concerns about Sheriff Bob Norris's statement following the tort claim filed against him.
KREM 2 asked state agencies if he could use sheriff's office resources such as an official letterhead and Facebook page to address a campaign matter.
The tort claim describes alleged comments Sheriff Norris made about Pennie Collinson at a Republican candidate forum. The claim says Collinson was at the forum as a photographer for sheriff candidate John Bauer.
In Norris's statement, he said he won't allow political operatives to tarnish his reputation, which is why he's offering $10,000 of his own money for video evidence of the claims against him.
Norris is running for re-election. KREM 2 asked the Secretary of State's office about his use of the official sheriff letterhead and social media for a campaign matter. They say that although he is running for office, this is not a campaign finance violation.
KREM 2 also asked the Idaho Attorney General's office to weigh in. They are working on that information right now.
Sheriff Norris is unavailable for interviews at this time. KREM 2 also spoke with Collinson and her attorney who filed the tort claim against Norris. Both say they cannot provide additional comment right now.
We are expecting to learn more about the legality of the sheriff's statement from the attorney general's office on Thursday.