The Idaho GOP's Full Embrace of Organized Cancel Culture

Purity tests, purges, and coordinated cancelation are all part of the playbook to drive out the few decent Republicans left in the Idaho Legislature.

Once upon a time, the Republican Party prided itself on a big tent—welcoming a broad coalition of conservatives, moderates, libertarians, and even those ornery old-school pragmatists who believed in, you know, governing. But not in Idaho. Here, the Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) and its enforcers have turned the Idaho GOP into an exclusive club where ideological purity is the price of admission, and independent thought gets you tossed out like last season’s party platform.

The latest victim? Representative Jack Nelsen. His crime? Voting in alignment with the needs and priorities of his constituents rather than blindly following the IFF's directives. The censure against Nelsen was based on his voting against IFF backed legislation.

Despite Nelsen's votes aligning with the concerns and values of his community, the IFF-controlled GOP apparatus deemed him a traitor. His censure wasn’t about party loyalty—it was about punishing independent thought and ensuring that the IFF’s chosen candidates have a clear path to power in the next election cycle. And like clockwork, the purity police—led by Blaine County GOP Chair Heather Lauer and Idaho III% militia leader Eric Parker—moved in to slap him with a censure.

IFF Board Member Heather Lauer working alongside the Bundy Bridge Sniper to celebrate their handywork

You don’t see this purging happening everywhere in the state, only in places where the IFF network has infiltrated and taken over the local county party—a list that unfortunately continues to grow.

How the Purity Machine Works

Let’s break it down. This is not some spontaneous grassroots outrage from salt-of-the-earth Idaho conservatives. No, this is a well-oiled political machine designed to punish independent thought and reward blind obedience to the IFF’s legislative agenda.

1. Step One: Infiltrate Local Party Committees

   • The IFF and its allies don’t just want influence; they want control. So they stack local county Republican committees with loyalists. People like Heather Lauer, who conveniently happens to sit on both the IFF and Idaho Freedom PAC boards. Democracy in action, right?

2. Step Two: Manufacture a “Freedom Score”

   • The IFF then assigns state legislators a “Freedom Score” based not on actual conservative principles, but on their willingness to rubber-stamp whatever policies IFF’s donors want. Support public education? Absolutely not. Invest in government transparency measures? How dare you?. Stand up to radical libertarian grifters? You are a RINO traitor!!

3. Step Three: Write the Rules to Support the Agenda

   • With their people installed in key party leadership positions, the IFF faithful rewrite the rules to make sure their purity tests become party doctrine. This means constantly shifting the party platform to align with whatever new scheme the IFF is cooking up in their backroom meetings.

4. Step Four: The Censure Machine

   • If a Republican legislator strays from the IFF script, it’s time for “accountability.” Local party leaders (who, let’s be honest, probably get their talking points directly from the IFF) introduce a resolution to censure the offender. And surprise—pre-written resolutions have a way of magically appearing, ready for rubber-stamp approval.

5. Step Five: The RINO Label and Primary Challenge

   • Once the censure is complete, the IFF’s propaganda machine goes to work. “See? This guy is a RINO. His own party says so!” Of course, the “own party” in question is just a handful of IFF loyalists controlling the local committees. Next, they bankroll a primary challenger, engage the services of Clint Maloney’s door knocking army, and install their new loyal puppet to take their place.

The Familiar Henchmen

Leading the charge in this latest round of political purges is Heather Lauer, who has made it her mission to enforce IFF orthodoxy. Then there’s Eric Parker—famous not for his conservative ideals, but for pointing a rifle at federal agents during the Bundy standoff in Nevada. Yes, Idaho, this is the kind of “leadership” that now determines who is a real Republican.

Heather Lauer and The People United for Privacy Lie

And let’s not forget Dorothy Moon, who cheers on every one of these sham censures like a high school mean girl leading a gossip-fueled takedown.

This Has Happened Before

This isn’t Idaho’s first rodeo with bad-faith purity tests. In August 2023, the Latah County Republican Central Committee attempted to purge party members who weren’t ideologically aligned with their hardline faction, effectively excommunicating anyone who dared think for themselves.

Then in October 2023, the Idaho Republican Party leadership, under the influence of IFF loyalists, used its platform to enforce rigid ideological loyalty, issuing official rebukes against members who prioritized governance over dogma.

More recently, in March 2024, a now former East Idaho Legislative District Chair and current IFF board member censured multiple Idaho lawmakers simply for not toeing the party line—sending a clear message that independent thought would not be tolerated.

While Lauer and her IFF comrades shriek about party purity, the PAC she chairs along with Ada County Republican Central Committee Vice Chair Ryan Spoon actively worked to help a Democrat get elected in Blaine County to stop the Republican candidate, Laurie Lickley, from winning that election. They scheme worked and the Democrat won that race.

If a scheme like this was done to stop one of IFF's Gang of Eight, no doubt they would be calling for censorship, or worse for anyone involved.

Rep. Clint Hostetler recently asked in a X post, "Rules for thee, but not for me?" As a member of their Gang of Eight, its shocking just how clueless they are to their own stunning hypocrisy.

Ideological Enforcement is Extremism

At the end of the day, enforcing rigid ideological purity is not normal behavior. It’s extremism. It’s what turns a once-dominant political party into a politburo filled with political grifters eager to serve their masters.

While the far-right celebrates their new bogus censure to waive around at their next Cult Central Committee meeting, the rest of us need to get loud and tell everyone that they are being hoodwinked. Only closed primary voters can rid these parasites from the party and sitting that election out ensures that these fools continue to rule.

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About the Author
Gregory Graf is the creator of Political Potatoes and a lifelong conservative Republican. His articles often criticize the hypocrisy committed by far-right grifters who’ve taken control of the GOP. Graf is the CEO of Snake River Strategies, a strategic communications and political consulting firm based in Eagle, Idaho. You can follow Graf’s work on X, Threads, or Facebook.

Disclaimer
The following is intended to convey an opinion on newsworthy events of public concern regarding public figures and/or public officials in exercising their official duties. No implications or inferences—beyond those explicitly stated in the preceding— are intended to be conveyed or endorsed by the Author. Wherever available, hyperlinks have been provided to allow readers to directly access any underlying assertions of fact upon which this opinion is based.

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