An Idaho school district is asking for more money in an ongoing court battle with a contractor.
The Blaine County School district and Seattle based McKinstry have sued each other over several million dollars’ worth of upgrades the company performed on district buildings. McKinstry says it’s owed money, and the district claims the company did unauthorized work.
The Blaine County district is now requesting punitive damages from McKinsty. District spokesperson Heather Crocker says this was prompted by internal company e-mails revealed in court documents. Crocker says the e-mails show illegal practices: for example one written by the construction manager on the Blaine County project.
“The e-mail discusses...'all the crap we have to go through to try and hide money',” Crocker says. “It further discusses how McKinstry showed an 8 percent profit margin to the school district, but then took another ten percent that he 'has to hide somewhere'.”
Last week McKinstry asked the 5th district court to declare the two-year-old contract unenforceable. A spokesperson for the company says “We’re letting our latest motion speak for itself.”
Copyright 2012 Boise State Public Radio