BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho House already has a temporary fill-in legislator for the first part of the session, as House Speaker Scott Bedke Monday morning swore in Tim Kastning of Rathdrum to fill in for Rep. John Green, R-Rathdrum, who is under federal indictment in Texas. Green’s trial on federal charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States in connection with a tax-evasion case started there Monday.
Kastning, the retired owner of Grace Tree Service in Kootenai County and a former aide to Congressman Russ Fulcher, said he’ll be filling in for about two weeks. “We’ve scheduled two weeks, a week to 10 days,” he said. “He’s taking care of some unfinished business.”
Green has pleaded not guilty and has said previously he’s being targeted because he has litigated many tax cases involving the Internal Revenue Service, the Associated Press reported in September.
Uniquely among the states, Idaho allows temporary substitutes when a legislator can’t serve; they aren’t paid, but have expenses covered. They’re most often used when a lawmaker is ill or absent for their personal work commitments.
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