When the Truth Gets in the Way of the Smear

Citizens Alliance of Idaho's golden boy omits important facts inconvenient to his attack on a Republican legislator.

Senator Brian Lenney loves to post misleading hot takes online, hoping nobody notices the damage he's doing. Over the weekend, Lenney took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a tragic news story about a farmworker in Idaho who was recently sentenced in connection with a fatal car accident. But instead of telling the truth, Lenney used the incident to push a grotesque political narrative and smear fellow Republican Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen.

Let’s be clear: the worker involved — a Peruvian immigrant — was legally employed at the time. He had legal status and worked on a local dairy operation, paying taxes like everyone else. The tragic incident occurred when he attempted a right-hand turn while towing a trailer loaded with farming equipment. As the trailer swung wide, a fast-moving vehicle slammed into it. The driver of that vehicle was killed.

According to investigators, that vehicle was speeding — a witness estimated it at 85 mph. Blood tests revealed the driver had THC in their system. Whether that contributed to the accident remains unclear, but what is clear is that this was a heartbreaking tragedy involving real people, not a political prop.

The farmworker, Juan Sanchez, didn’t flee the country. He didn’t vanish. He was arrested and held for 265 days. He expressed deep remorse and took responsibility. In January, Sanchez agreed to a plea deal: misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter and felony leaving the scene. Prosecutors recommended a suspended sentence, partly because of the time he had already served.

But none of those facts made it into Lenney’s post. Instead, he and his political allies — Matt Edwards, Ryan Spoon, and their disinformation feedback loop — used this human tragedy to double down on their smear campaign against Mickelsen. Their claim? That she’s hiring violent criminals and harboring undocumented immigrants.

First, they said she hired “illegal aliens.” That lie fell apart under scrutiny. Now they’ve shifted to saying she hired a violent criminal — conveniently omitting that he had legal status when employed, and that his legal status was only affected after the accident.

Lenny, who was initially elected with significant help from Young Americans for Liberty, a pro-drug legalization group, said absolutely nothing about the driver who was high on marijuana. Not one word from him about using this incident to push continued marijuana criminalization. One look at Lenney’s X posts and it’s obvious he’s obsessed with attacking other Republicans and often omits critical facts that would break his false narratives.

This is not immigration policy. This is not conservative governance. This is political gaslighting, wrapped in racist dog whistles and fed to a base they assume is too distracted or too angry to check the facts.

Let’s also discuss how this harms people like Sanchez and many others like him.

Agricultural workers with legal status do grueling work in one of the hardest sectors of our economy. They pay taxes. They support their families. They serve the same communities as the rest of us. While towing a UTV trailer or fifth wheel, how many of us have swung wide on a right turn? Do we think that should cost us our legal status in the U.S.? Do we believe one tragic accident, in which someone is remorseful, cooperative, and sentenced by a court, should be used to strip someone of everything?

Brian Lenney does. Matt Edwards and Ryan Spoon do too, as long as the person involved has brown skin and a Spanish surname. Because let’s be honest: if Sanchez were white and born in Buhl, Lenney wouldn’t have posted a word. There would be no outrage. No E-Verify crusade. No accusations hurled at Mickelsen.

Lenney won re-election with significant help from Matt Edwards/Clint Maloney Citizens Alliance machine.

This isn’t about the law. It’s about power and falsely exploiting tragedy to cling to it.

And they’ve done it before. When Spoon triggered an ICE raid on Mickelsen’s farm with a false tip earlier this year, it wasn’t about justice. It was about intimidation and chaos. And now they’re doing it again — using a tragic story to craft a false narrative and punish a Republican who dares to think independently.

Idaho deserves better. We deserve leaders who tell the truth, who value fairness, and who don’t see every brown-skinned worker as a political opportunity.

If Brian Lenney and his ghoulish comrades are willing to exploit a tragic death, twist the facts, and stoke racial resentment to take down a fellow Republican, the real threat to Idaho isn’t immigrant farmworkers — it’s the extremists who’ll say anything, do anything, and ruin anyone to hold onto power. That’s not conservatism. That’s a cult. And it’s time Idahoans see the truth.

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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