AG Labrador Calls Out Deceptive and Shameful Political Attacks Exploiting Child Protection Efforts

BOISE, ID - Attorney General Raúl Labrador issued the following statement in response to misleading political advertisements falsely invoking his office and the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit:

During the 2026 legislative session, after across-the-board budget cuts, the Idaho Legislature approved a partial restoration of the Attorney General's budget, including resources to continue supporting the ICAC Unit.

"Idahoans are being deliberately misled.

"A political organization calling itself 'Idaho Values First' is running ads that falsely claim certain legislators voted against funding for my office's Internet Crimes Against Children Unit. That claim is misleading and flatly untrue.

"The ads refer to an across-the-board 5% budget cut that affected every state agency, not a targeted vote against my office or ICAC. HB971 was the budget enhancement bill that partially restored my office's funding, including all resources that support the ICAC Unit. The legislators these ads attack voted for the enhancement bill.

"These ads are attempting to manipulate voters, not inform them. If it were about accountability, the legislators who voted against HB971 would be targeted by these ads, yet they are not.

"Using legislative votes in political messaging is fair. Twisting those votes into false narratives is not. And dragging the work of my office and the mission of protecting children into a knowingly dishonest attack is a new low.

"My ICAC investigators do difficult, often heartbreaking work to protect children from online predators. Idaho families deserve honesty and transparency, not cynical attacks that exploit the real work being done to keep children safe."