Former Idaho GOP chairman faces new unlawful entry charge in addition to stalking, trespass

BOISE (Idaho Statesman)– Former Idaho GOP chairman and lobbyist Jonathan Parker now has three pending criminal charges.

The latest charge, misdemeanor unlawful entry, stems from Parker allegedly entering a woman’s Meridian home without her consent. Parker pleaded not guilty to that charge on July 3, marking his third court appearance on three separate charges over the course of about one month.

Parker resigned from his GOP post Feb. 18, with more than two years left in his term.

Since then, Parker’s wife has filed for divorce, and he has been charged with, and bonded out, on two misdemeanors and one felony. The misdemeanor unlawful entry charge stems from an interaction with a different woman.

According to court records:

• March 26: Parker’s wife, Kelly, filed for divorce in Ada County. The divorce proceedings are pending and sealed.
• April 10: Parker allegedly looked into a door or window at an apartment complex on the 300 block of North Whitewater Park Boulevard, the same complex in which his estranged wife lived.
• April 26: Parker allegedly entered a home in Meridian without the resident’s consent.
• May 16 to 30: Parker allegedly stalked and harassed his estranged wife.
• May 30: Boise police arrest Parker after receiving a call about a man acting strangely at an apartment complex on the 300 block of North Whitewater Park Boulevard. Officers made contact with that man and identified him as Parker. Further investigation revealed that there was an active protection order between Parker and a woman living nearby — his wife — and Parker was then arrested and charged with felony stalking. Parker’s next court appearance on this charge is 8:30 a.m. Aug. 16 before Ada County Judge David Manweiler.
• May 31: During his arraignment on the stalking charge, the judge issued a no-contact order, which bars Parker from getting within 500 feet of his wife.
• June 14: During a court appearance on the May 30 felony stalking charge, deputies arrested Parker on the April 10 incident and charged him with misdemeanor trespass of privacy. Parker’s next court appearance on this charge is 8:45 a.m. July 29 before Ada County Judge Michael Oths.
• June 20: Arrest warrant issued for alleged April 26 unlawful entry incident at a Meridian home.
• July 3: Parker makes voluntary court appearance on the unlawful entry charge, avoiding a warrant arrest, and pleads not guilty to the charge. Court records note that as a condition of being out on bond, Parker could not have “access to firearms.” Parker’s next court appearance on this charge is 10:15 a.m. Aug. 20 before Ada County Judge Thomas Watkins.

On June 29, the Idaho Republican Party elected former Idaho congressman and candidate for governor Raul Labrador as its new chairman. Labrador defeated former Idaho superintendent Tom Luna in a 111-109 vote.

This article was originally published in the Idaho Statesman. It is used here with permission.