Flathead County asks for dismissal of fair lawsuit

The Flathead County Attorney’s Office is asking a Kalispell man to clarify allegations he made in a lawsuit against county commissioners and Fairgrounds Manager Mark Campbell.

The county also requested that the lawsuit be dismissed.

In the original lawsuit filed on July 8, Ronald Thibert alleged that Campbell produced a “bogus” roster for the 2013 Relay Race.

Thibert called for the firing of county commissioners and Campbell as well as annual $300,000 payments from the county to fund horse racing.

Thibert, the secretary-treasurer of All Breeds Turf Club, has been trying to revive horse racing at the Northwest Montana Fair.

“The citizens in the valley are interested in getting horse racing back to Kalispell,” Thibert said on Wednesday.

In a reply brief filed on July 31, Deputy County Attorney David Randall wrote that there is no clear legal allegation made by Thibert.

“Even assuming Mr. Campbell provided plaintiff with a ‘bogus copy,’ there is still no articulable cause of action able to be advanced by any legal theory,” Randall wrote. “Moreover, plaintiff’s assertions also fall far short of articulating a cause of action for fraud.”

Randall declined to comment to the Daily Inter Lake about an ongoing case. Campbell also declined to comment.

Thibert has claimed that he asked Campbell for a women’s roster for the 2013 Relay Race. When he received it, Thibert said that there was a name removed.

In his own court brief, Thibert wrote that Campbell removed the name and told the woman she couldn’t enter “because the Indian girls did not like it.” He followed with the word “dictatorship” with a question mark.

His claim against the Flathead County commissioners is that they did nothing about the alleged wrongdoing. The county denies that there are sufficient allegations against the commissioners to name them as defendants, according to court documents.

In addition to the county’s request for a clearer complaint from Thibert, Randall also requested in his brief that the case be dismissed.

A judge has not yet weighed in on the case. So far, Thibert has represented himself without an attorney.

On Wednesday, he said he’s willing to move the case forward.

“I’m prepared to go to a jury trial,” he said. “I’d like to see a jury trial.”

Reporter Matt Hudson may be reached at 758-4459 or by email at mhudson@dailyinterlake.com.