(UPDATED, 9:12 a.m. Tuesday, with comments from an Action Idaho social media post.)

Polarizing Boise State University professor Scott Yenor was the “hidden hand” behind the creation of a right-wing website and media platform dubbed Action Idaho, The Guardian US reported Friday.

Citing public records – including emails sent from Yenor’s university email account – the Guardian reports that the political science professor sought funding for the site beginning in May 2021. One of the would-be donors was Thomas D. Klingenstein, board chairman for the conservative Claremont Institute, the Guardian reported.

Yenor is a fellow with the institute, based in Claremont, Calif.

The Action Idaho website began publishing in early 2022, and was active for about two years, the Guardian reported. The site frequently criticized Republicans its writers considered to be not sufficiently conservative, such as House Education Committee chair Julie Yamamoto, R-Caldwell. It also was frequently critical of news sites, including Idaho Education News.

Action Idaho remains active on X, the social media platform known formerly known as Twitter. However, an online gambling site now operates on Action Idaho’s former URL address.

In a post on X last week, written ahead of the Guardian article, Action Idaho said Yenor tried to raise money to expand Action Idaho’s operations. But as other conservative sites surfaced, Action Idaho “packed up” its sites. “It was a great run, and the Twitter still lives on.”

The Guardian article also linked Theo Wold, now head of Claremont’s Administrative State Project, to the Action Idaho project. Wold was an aide to former President Trump and, more recently, solicitor general on Attorney General Raúl Labrador’s staff.

Yenor said little to the Guardian about its story, except to confirm that a conservative writer, Pedro Gonzalez, did not accept an offer to head Action Idaho.

In a statement issued late Monday, Boise State did not directly address Yenor.

“We take very seriously any claims about violations of law or policy, investigating and, when appropriate, taking action,” the statement said, in part. “For legal and ethical reasons, such investigations and their outcomes cannot be publicly shared and will often not be visible.”

Written by Jason Wilson, a Guardian investigative reporter based in Portland, Ore., Friday’s piece is the site’s second in-depth article in the past two weeks focusing on Yenor. On March 19, Wilson reported that Yenor was connected to the Society for American Civic Renewal, a secretive far-right group open only to men.

Boise State statement

Here, in full, is Boise State’s statement on the story:

“We take very seriously any claims about violations of law or policy, investigating and, when appropriate, taking action. For legal and ethical reasons, such investigations and their outcomes cannot be publicly shared and will often not be visible. We do not tolerate violations of law or policy. 

“As an institution of higher learning, we emphatically defend freedom of speech and academic freedom on our campus. For the benefit of intellectual inquiry and democracy, we invite dissenting voices, dialogue, and debate. Universities must be places that respect and facilitate the free exchange of ideas. We understand that the open exchange of ideas can introduce uncomfortable or even highly offensive ideas. Boise State cannot infringe upon the First Amendment rights of any members of our community, regardless of whether we, as individuals, agree or disagree with their ideas. No single faculty member defines what Boise State — or any public university — endorses or stands for.”