The Ada County Republican Central Committee, with the backing of the state Republican Party, censured Steven Ricks, who is challenging Sen. Russ Fulcher, R-Meridian, in next month’s primary.  The formal message of criticism concerns a lawsuit Ricks filed against the Idaho Republican Party over a mailing used by Ricks in a previous campaign for the Senate seat.

“The voters of District 21 (where Ricks and Fulcher are running) need to know who this guy is and what he’s doing to the party,” Jonathan Parker, the executive director of the Idaho Republican Party, told IdahoReporter.com.  “Here’s a gentleman that’s suing the state party, costing it money that could otherwise be going to elect Republican candidates in the general election.”

“Those dollars could otherwise go into campaigns,” said Ada County Commissioner and GOP candidate for governor Sharon Ullman, who attended the central committee meeting on Tuesday.

Parker said the state party has spent tens of thousands of dollars on a lawsuit, which stems from a 2008 mailing Ricks sent out that used the state party’s logo.  Party chairman Norm Semanko sent out a correction to Ricks’ letter, which led to Ricks’ lawsuit against Semanko and the Republican Party.

Ada County Republican chairman Marcel Bujarski wouldn’t comment on the censure.  Bujarski is a party to Ricks’ lawsuit.

When reached for comment, Ricks, a retired attorney, said he didn’t attend the committee meeting and that a vote to censure him was not on the meeting’s agenda.