Latest news with #TeresaBorrenpohl
CNN
23-04-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Woman forcibly removed from Idaho Republican town hall
Teresa Borrenpohl is seeking $5 million in damages after being forcibly removed from a Republican town hall in Idaho in February. Six men are now facing charges related to the incident, according to the local prosecutor's office.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
"Demand accountability": Idaho woman seeks $5M in damages after being dragged from GOP town hall
An Idaho woman who was dragged from a Republican town hall in Coeur d'Alene in February plans to sue the county sheriff and private security firm responsible for her upsetting removal. Teresa Borrenpohl filed a tort claim in Kootenai County on Monday, announcing her intention to bring a lawsuit against Sheriff Bob Norris and Lear Asset Management, the security firm whose plain-clothes employees pried Borrenpohl from her seat and removed her from the event. Borrenpohl's lawsuit comes shortly after the Coeur d'Alene City Prosecutor's office brought charges against the security guards. Four of the guards were charged with misdemeanor battery and false imprisonment, as well as violations of the city's requirements for uniformed security. A fifth security guard was charged with uniform violations. 'Town halls are intended to foster conversation and discourse across the aisle, which is why I am deeply alarmed that private security dragged me out of the public meeting for simply exercising my fundamental right of free speech,' Borrenpohl shared in a statement. Borrenpohl said she was encouraged to seek restitution by people who reached out to support her after video of her removal went viral. "I have received an outpouring of support from people across the country," she said. "Along with words of comfort and sympathy, folks have described similar acts of aggression in their own neighborhoods, reinforcing to me the importance of demanding accountability in my own case." Lear CEO Paul Trouette told the Washington Post that the charges against his employees were "misguided [and] false" and stood by the decision to remove Borrenpohl from the town hall. "The Constitution provides freedom of speech, but it does not provide a license to be disruptive,' he said.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
6 men charged in woman's removal from Idaho town hall
Six men were charged by prosecutors in northern Idaho for removing a woman from a Kootenai County Republican Central Committee town hall in February. Teresa Borrenpohl, a former Democratic nominee for state office, was hauled out of the meeting by individuals in plain clothes who refused to identify themselves at her request. Five of them were hired by the private security firm Lear Asset Management, which had its license revoked by the city after the town hall, according to The Associated Press. Paul Trouette, Russell Dunne, Christofer Berg and Jesse Jones were charged with misdemeanor battery, false imprisonment, and violations of security agent duties and uniform requirements, while Alex Trouette IV is charged with security agent duties and uniform violations, the Coeur d'Alene City Prosecutor's office told The Hill. Michael Keller, who was not hired by the security firm, is being charged with misdemeanor battery, the prosecutor's office said. 'Town halls are intended to foster conversation and discourse across the aisle, which is why I am deeply alarmed that private security dragged me out of the public meeting for simply exercising my fundamental right of free speech,' Borrenpohl told AP. The incident comes as GOP leadership in Washington, D.C., has largely encouraged members of Congress to shy away from town halls amid vocal backlash from constituents, who many Republicans insist are Democratic activists. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) was the latest leader to face shouting and pointed questions at a town hall Monday about the Department of Government Efficiency's efforts to slash spending and overhaul the federal workforce under President Trump. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Washington Post
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Woman seeks $5M in damages after removal from GOP town hall for heckling
An Idaho woman who was dragged out of a local Republican town hall in February by private security guards for heckling lawmakers is seeking $5 million in damages after the confrontation drew widespread attention and led city officials to press criminal charges against the guards. Video of plainclothes guards hauling the protester, Teresa Borrenpohl, out of her seat and forcing her to the ground in a Coeur d'Alene auditorium on Feb. 22 went viral as stories emerged across the country of constituents speaking out against Republican policies in contentious town halls. Critics saw Borrenpohl's ejection as an assault on free speech.
The Hill
22-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
6 men charged in woman's removal from Idaho town hall
Six men were charged by prosecutors in northern Idaho for removing a woman from a Kootenai County Republican Central Committee town hall in February. Teresa Borrenpohl, a former Democratic nominee for state office, was hauled out of the meeting by individuals in plain clothes who refused to identify themselves at her request. Five of them were hired by the private security firm Lear Asset Management, which had its license revoked by the city after the town hall, according to The Associated Press. Paul Trouette, Russell Dunne, Christofer Berg and Jesse Jones were charged with misdemeanor battery, false imprisonment, and violations of security agent duties and uniform requirements, while Alex Trouette IV is charged with security agent duties and uniform violations, the Coeur d'Alene City Prosecutor's told The Hill. Michael Keller, who was not hired by the security firm, is being charged with misdemeanor battery, the prosecutor's office said. 'Town halls are intended to foster conversation and discourse across the aisle, which is why I am deeply alarmed that private security dragged me out of the public meeting for simply exercising my fundamental right of free speech,' Borrenpohl told AP. The incident comes as GOP leadership in Washington has largely encouraged members of Congress to shy away from town halls amid vocal backlash from constituents, whom many Republicans insist are Democratic activists. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) was the latest leader to face shouting and pointed questions surrounding the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) efforts to slash spending and overhaul the federal workforce under President Trump.
