Don’t trust attack mailers from deep-pocketed out-of-staters. Find out for yourself | Opinion

Idaho has a long tradition of self-reliance and independence, deeply ingrained in our state’s identity since the earliest settlers made a home here. We are proud of our ability to govern ourselves, resist outside interference in our affairs, and live with honesty and integrity. However, the increasingly troubling forces at play in our elections are a direct threat to that tradition.

Idahoans have learned that large, out-of-state political action committees (PACs) like Make Liberty Win (affiliated with the libertarian group Young Americans for Liberty (YAL)) are spending exorbitant amounts of money to influence our elections. Reports indicate that YAL has allocated over $1 million to sway the outcome of Idaho’s elections this year.

That enormous surge of money, flowing from dark money organizations in Texas and D.C., is new for Idaho, and it appears that YAL is just getting started.

What is even more troubling beyond the outrageous price tags are the tactics these groups are deploying in our state. You’ve probably received sudden piles of cartoonish and shocking mail or texts on your phone making outlandish and inflammatory claims, labeling good conservative legislators as “porn peddlers” or “open borders cronies,” among other baseless accusations.

Even our speaker of the house, Rep. Mike Moyle, who is by all accounts a deeply conservative lawmaker, found himself targeted. The PAC pumped mailers into his district labeling him as “anti-guns,” even though Moyle voted in favor of such bills and has been given the Defending Freedom award from the NRA.

Egregious claims from this PAC have been thoroughly debunked, yet they persist as they continue to try and manipulate Idaho voters.

The question we must ask is: What are the motives behind this massive spending and deceptive campaigning? Besides a power grab for the fringe lawmakers they support, it is no secret that these groups have a vested interest in pushing for drug decriminalization, among other libertarian policies. While these may be policy positions worth discussion, the underhanded tactics being employed to advance them in Idaho are deeply concerning. I don’t want to think about how our elections will continue when good candidates are eradicated because of big budgets and blatant lies.

These tactics were so shocking that the so-called Freedom Caucus, a group of Idaho Republican lawmakers, officially split with Young Americans for Liberty. The reason? Their goals and methods are so bizarre to Idaho that even hard-line conservatives find them unacceptable.

But with the primary coming up on May 21 and lies shipped straight to our mailboxes, many Idahoans are asking what to do.

In light of these developments, it is imperative that Idaho voters take the time to get to know the candidates. We cannot rely on information from out-of-state groups with their own agendas. Instead, we should turn to trusted local sources such as members of our local police departments, teachers, and community leaders. These are our neighbors, deeply invested in our community and with our best interests at heart. They are the ones we should trust to guide us in making informed decisions about the future of our state.

In the face of outside interference and deceptive campaigning, let’s uphold Idaho’s tradition of independence and self-reliance. Let’s reject out-of-state influences and rely on the knowledge and wisdom of our fellow Idahoans. Our state’s future depends on it.

Cortney Liddiard is a business leader who serves on the boards of several prominent organizations in the finance and healthcare sectors.