Blaine County Democrat Candidate for Sheriff Says He Filed ‘Criminal Defamation Charges’ Against Republican Opponent

Note: Idaho Dispatch changed the headline and opening paragraph to say that Ballis “says he filed” the charges because we cannot find the filed charges online. We have reached out to the Ballis campaign for any confirmation documentation. The article and headline will revert to the original headline and opening paragraph if the charges can be found or provided by the Ballis campaign. This correction is a mistake on the part of the Idaho Dispatch and should have been written this way from the beginning.)

Morgan Ballis, a Democratic candidate for sheriff in Blaine County, says he has filed criminal defamation charges against his Republican opponent, Aaron Hughston.

Ballis, who currently serves with the Hailey Police Department, defeated incumbent Steve Harkins during the May primary. Ballis won with 54% of the vote to Harkins’s 46%. Hughston was not challenged in the Republican Primary.

In a press release dated August 29, 2024, Ballis says he has filed criminal defamation charges against Hughston and that the case has been referred to Idaho State Police.

Ballis says in the press release that he is also considering civil action against Hughston. He says the charges and potential civil action come as he says “false accusations” and “false and misleading claims.” that were sent out in campaign material, websites, text messages, and packages. Ballis claims Hughston was captured on video delivering a package to the Blaine County School District Office with some of the allegations against him.

Part of Ballis’ statement in the press release says,

“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.”

In the press release, which can be viewed in its entirety here, Ballis says some attacks distorted incidents from his past that he says he has openly discussed during the campaign. Ballis says he had talked to youth about his arrest for felony theft when he was a juvenile and how it changed who he was.

Ballis’ press release says,

“All other accusations made against Ballis never resulted in a charge, arrest, or conviction.”

According to his website, Hughston was a former reserved deputy in Blaine County.

Idaho Dispatch contacted the Hughston campaign for a response to the defamation charges Ballis says he filed against him. Bjorn Handeen, a political strategist for the Hughtston campaign, responded to the Ballis accusation by telling Idaho Dispatch,

“Mr. Ballis’s attempts to silence voters’ concerns about his criminal record will not work.”

Three days ago, Hughston’s campaign had addressed a dispute between the two candidates. Hughston said Ballis attacked him because he “exposed his history of misconduct.”

In the post, Hughston says, in part,

“My opponent chose to conceal his record from voters, and he has attacked me for bringing his 15-year history of misconduct into the spotlight. My opponent has not denied his criminal record or given voters the opportunity to ask him questions about his fitness for the Sheriff’s Office. Indeed, he has refused to debate me. Instead, he has chosen to attack me and my family on social media because I exposed his history of misconduct.”

Democrats currently control all commissioners’ seats in Blaine County, and Harkins was elected sheriff in 2016 and re-elected in 2020.

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Tags: Aaron Hughston, Blaine County, Democrat, Morgan Ballis, Republican

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