A judge in Idaho has dismissed Agriculture Undersecretary Michael Boren’s defamation lawsuit against individuals who complained about an airstrip he operated on his ranch in the state.
Idaho District Court Judge Darren B. Simpson threw out the case June 25 for inactivity, blunting Boren’s attempt to revive his complaint after months of inaction.
The dispute, dating to 2021, centered on a small airstrip Boren maintained on his ranch in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. Although he obtained a permit through the Forest Service at the time, neighbors’ public complaints prompted him to sue for defamation.
Parts of the lawsuit already had been dismissed, while others were allowed to proceed. After Boren became an employee of the Trump administration — first at the Interior Department, then as the Senate-confirmed undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment — the case lingered. It was eventually reassigned to Simpson, in the 7th Judicial District in Custer County.
