STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

A candidate for Blaine County Sheriff has filed defamation charges against his opponent for what he says are false and misleading claims targeting he and his family.

Morgan Ballis, a Hailey police officer and school resource officer at Wood River High School, said the claims were disseminated through campaign mailers, a website, anonymous emails and a mass-text message to recipients that included minor high school students.

Sensitive juvenile records along with false accusations of crimes have been sent anonymously to the Hailey Police Department, the City of Hailey, the Blaine County School District, the Idaho Police Standards and Training Council (POST) and the Blaine County Commissioners in an order to harm his reputation and employment, he added.

Ballis said that his opponent, Aaron Hughston was captured on security footage delivering one of those packages to the Blaine County School District office and has since admitted to sending the records to POST and the Hailey Police Department.

The Bellevue Marshal has transferred the case to the Idaho State Police.

“The malicious and false accusations made by my opponent—alleging rape, child abuse and drug offenses—are so heinous and grave that my family has no choice but to seek legal recourse. This behavior has no place in a Blaine County election campaign. We will, instead, address these unfounded claims in court, where Mr. Hughston will be required to defend his statements under oath," said Ballis.

Ballis, an 11-year Marine Corps veteran, said that Hughston’s attacks distort what he shares with at-risk youth and others about how his arrest for felony theft as a juvenile shaped his commitment to justice and his advocacy for prevention, restorative justice and diversion programs. Accusations made against him never resulted in a charge, arrest or conviction, he said.

“I’ve made my share of mistakes as a teenager and some were quite painful,” Ballis said, noting that his indiscretions involved minor consumption of alcohol, damaging a vehicle and stealing a wallet. He was placed in a diversion program and mentored toward his goal of becoming a Marine.

“I’ve always been open about that because the grace and guidance I received during that period of my life, and the lessons I learned from those experiences, were a source of huge personal growth and ultimately the driving force behind my commitment to service—in our military, in our schools and in our community,” he said.

In response, Hughston sent out a press release chiding Ballis for trying to silence him. He said that voters have the right to comprehensive information about candidates seeking the office of sheriff. And he said he has been transparent about his life experiences, including an incident where he was acquitted on grounds of self-defense, which fostered in him an empathy for those struggling with mental health issues.