By Danielle Grant, Local News 8 Reporter
IDAHO FALLS - One local candidate is making waves for something she claims she didn't realize she even did.
Barbara Ehardt is running for a seat on the Idaho Falls City Council.
But when she sent out postcards detailing her life experiences, she used copyrighted logos making it look like those businesses are endorsing her candidacy.
Ehardt claims the symbols show where she's been and what she's done and they were never meant to be seen as endorsements.
"Let me truly say unequivocally I'm so sorry it was a complete mistake," explained Barbara Ehardt, running for Idaho Falls City Council.
A mistake Barbara Ehardt wishes she didn't make.
As a NCAA basketball coach for 15 years, Ehardt knows about hard work and dedication.
That's why she says she used two of her university's logos as a visual to show what she's done and to catch people's eye.
"Most people will take 20 seconds at the most to look at your literature before they throw it away," she said.
We talked with the University of California at Santa Barbara who say they would never endorse a political candidate.
Brigham Young University says they in no way endorsed Ehardt nor did the Republican Party.
Ehardt believes it was an innocent faux pas.
She just wanted to showcase her experiences.
"If anything, I think it'd be the other way around. I think it was my endorsement of them in all honesty my endorsement of the places I've been and the experiences I've had," Ehardt explained.
Ehardt's opponent, incumbent Karen Cornwell says no one besides city officials should use the City of Idaho Falls' seal, claiming it gives a false impression of who they really are.
The Idaho Falls Municipal Services Director Craig Lords says there's nothing illegal about using their logo but they encourage people not to use it because it demeans what it stands for.
Election Day is one week away.
Local News 8 will have all your election night coverage with reporters across Eastern Idaho and Western Wyoming bringing you the latest poll results.
