BOISE, ID - Earlier today, the Idaho Republican Party asked U.S. Attorney Tom Moss to investigate whether any state or federal laws were broken when the Idaho Democrat Party distributed a campaign mail piece displaying the Social Security numbers of Congressman Bill Sali and his wife.

 "A rough-and-tumble campaign is one thing," said Chairman Norm Semanko.  "But sending out Bill's personal info, and thereby opening him up to identity theft, is way out of bounds.  Despite Hansen's claims, the ends do not justify the means.  Walter Minnick's refusal to condemn the mailing suggests he approves of such methods.  Minnick's silence speaks volumes." 

Semanko continued, "The cavalier attitude of the Minnick campaign and the Democrat Party, and their failure to accept responsibility for their own actions in this whole affair, is appalling.  While Minnick and Hansen may not grasp the seriousness of identity theft, countless Idahoans do. 

"It took days before Hansen even acknowledged he had done something wrong, and even then, all he offered was finger-pointing and a grudging half-apology.  All the while, Minnick looks the other way.  Where's the accountability?"