Criminal Investigation Launched Against Idaho Sheriff

CALDWELL (KTVB) -- The Idaho Attorney General's Office has launched a criminal investigation after receiving a complaint about Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue.

The specifics of the complaint were not immediately available, but Canyon County spokesman Joe Decker said the sheriff is being accused of misconduct. Decker says the sheriff's office doesn't know who made the original complaint.

The attorney general has ordered Canyon County to preserve records that will be used in the investigation including digital communications, emails, time sheets, county pay travel records, cell phone records and complaints filed with any county department about K. Donahue Foundation, Inc. and the DBA Man Up Crusade.

The K. Donahue Foundation, Inc Man Up Crusade is a nonprofit run by Donahue and his wife aimed at ending domestic violence. The group holds "purple night" each year at local rodeos to raise awareness. The nonprofit is not associated with the sheriff's office.

K Donahue Inc had $15,823 in expenses and had a total of $2,011 left over in assets by the end of 2013, according to tax filings. The year before - the year the foundation was created - K Donahue Inc had $7,263 in expenses and $3,358 in assets at the end of the year. The 2014 filing was not available.

Decker said the sheriff's office is cooperating with the investigation. Donahue released a statement denying any misconduct.

"I was made aware by the Attorney Generals Office that an anonymous complaint had been made alleging misconduct," he said in the statement. "We have been and will continue to cooperate fully with the AG's investigation. We are confident that at the conclusion of the investigation the Sheriff's Office and I will be cleared of any wrong doing."

The investigation is being performed under Idaho Statute 31-2002, which allows the attorney general to carry out the preliminary investigation of "any allegation of a violation of state law, civil or criminal, against a county officer occupying an elective office for violation of state law in his official capacity," according to the law.

At the conclusion of the investigation, Attorney General Lawrence Wasden has the option of issuing a finding that no further action is necessary, prescribe training or find that additional investigation is appropriate. In that case, the investigation will be forwarded to a special prosecutor.