GOP-backed smear campaign helps right-wing book banners take over Idaho library board: report

Right-wing book banners took over an Idaho library board after smearing two incumbents with vile accusations, a report by the Daily Beast claimed Thursday.

A pair of candidates backed by the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee unseated moderate incumbents Judy Meyer and Regina McCrea after members of the local GOP's council hand-delivered copies of a letter that falsely accused them of allowing children to access books that graphically described "every imaginable sex act," reported The Daily Beast.

"Many of the good people in our community have been shocked to learn that sexually explicit books are on display in the children’s section of our libraries,” the letter stated. "These books are so explicit that if you were to give them to a child, you would be committing a crime."

Meyer and McCrea say the accusations are false and are suing the Republican Party precinct reps who delivered copies of the letter, the Beast reported.

Central committee president Brent Regan also acknowledged that his group financed a professional-looking video posted online shortly before the election that depicted a child telling her mother about a sexually explicit book read at her school by an apparent drag queen.

“We went to the library today and there’s a special room for kids, and this funny lady, she, uh, read us a book and she showed us all the pictures in the book," the child says in the ad. "The lady gave me a hug, but I could feel her face was really scratchy, like dad’s face.”

The girl then asks her mom about anal sex, which was purportedly described in the book, and then a voiceover promotes GOP-backed candidates Tim Plass and Tom Hanley pledging "to protect our children's innocence."

“This is, you might say, good versus evil,” Plass told The Daily Beast. “Why would anyone want these books in the library for kids, unless they're a pedophile or a groomer?”

The recently retired electrical engineer promised to immediately start removing books the board, which now includes three like-minded members in a majority, deems inappropriate for children.

“That’s a definite,” he said.

Meyer declined to comment on the election, but McRea said she was hurt by the accusations.

“I’m a mother, I want to protect children’s innocence,” McRea told the Beast. “Just the idea that I am trying to pervert children is offensive. I believe children’s innocence should be protected just as much as anyone.”