Boise’s Police Investigation on Hold After DC Firm Runs Through Half-Million in Funding

An independent investigation commissioned by the City of Boise into the city’s police department is on hold, after quickly running through the allotted funds.

The city hired Washington, DC law firm Steptoe & Johnson in December, after racist writings and videos from a now-retired Boise Police Captain were uncovered. Some of the materials were authored under pseudonyms while Captain Matt Brygnelson was still employed by the department. He left the department in August on early retirement, and was later slated to speak at a conference for white supremacists.

The city council allocated a budget of $500,000 for the investigation – but the money ran out in March, according to the city. The investigation was put on hold.

BoiseDev received invoices from Steptoe for December, January and February under Idaho’s Public Records Act. As of February 28th, Steptoe had invoiced the city for $430,285.86. A city spokesperson said the rest of the funds were exhausted in March, and the work stopped, for now.

The mayor’s office will now have to decide whether to ask the city council for additional funds to continue the work. As of now, the city has not been provided a report on Steptoe’s initial findings. {snip}

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[Editor’s Note: Matt Brygnelson is under investigation for his association with American Renaissance.]