In October of 1961, Western Frontiers was incorporated in the State of Idaho. In 1985, the company changed its name to the Hagadone Hospitality Co. (Hagedone) Today, the company is responsible for the management of the Coeur d’Alene Resort.
While Kootenai County generally supports conservative causes, Hagedone has placed its support behind both liberal and conservative causes. Hagadone made two key donations in 2020 as well as in 2022 according to the Secretary of State’s Website that may help explain the company’s political tendencies.
In April of 2020, in the midst of Donald Trump’s re-election campaign, BLM Riots, and the Covid-19 crisis, Hagadone donated to one political organization: the Kootenai County Democrat Central Committee (sunshine report).
According to the Secretary of State’s website, Hagadone didn’t make any more political donations until 2022. On October 7, 2022, however, Hagadone donated $6,000 to a political action committee: the Idaho Committee on Hospitality & Sports (sunshine report). This accounts for almost a third of the donations ICHS spent on 2022 elections.
Most of the candidates supported by ICHS during the the lead up to the 2022 elections were those most likely to win in Idaho: Republicans. The list included $7,500 for the Brad Little Campaign, $1,000 for Scott Bedke, Brandon Wolf, Scott Bedke, Phil McGrane, and Raúl Labrador.
However, ICHS also supported more liberal candidates in the lead up to the May 17 primary. For example, ICHS donated at least $500 to Tara Malek, Jim Addis, and Paul Amador among others. None of these three candidates were endorsed by the Kootenai County Republican Party.
At publishing time, Hagadone had not responded with a comment about its political donations.
While business interests certainly play a role in Hagadone’s political donations, it seems apparent they are more than comfortable to operate as the wealthy patron of the left-leaning political apparatus here in Kootenai.
