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.