H. Brent Coles

Who is H. Brent Coles?

H. Brent Coles served as mayor of Boise, Idaho, from 1993 to 2003.

Coles was appointed mayor upon the resignation of Dirk Kempthorne, who was elected to the United States Senate. He was elected to a full term as mayor in 1995 and reelected in 1999.

In 2000 and 2001 Coles served as president of the United States Conference of Mayors.

In February 2003 Coles resigned after being charged with accepting an illegal trip from an insurance company to the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. Prior to his resignation Coles had been the target of a recall election drive. City council member Carolyn Terteling-Payne was appointed to finish the remaining 11 months of his term.

In May 2003 Coles was indicted by an Ada County grand jury for five felonies stemming from the incident and related activities. In November 2003 Coles pled an alford plea to a count of presenting a fraudulent account or voucher and a count of misuse of public money by officers. The remaining charges were dropped as part of a plea bargain. In January 2004 he was sentenced to 180 days in jail and three years probation. In August 2011, The state of Idaho levied a tax lien in the amount of $44,691.31 against Coles and his wife for unpaid individual income taxes.