Confusion Over Accountability as Take Back Idaho Fined for Campaign Finance Violation

By Greg Pruett • May 27, 2025

The Idaho Secretary of State’s Office has fined the Political Action Committee, Take Back Idaho, $100 for failing to report election expenditures properly.

In December 2024, Idaho Dispatch launched an investigation following reports that funds had been used to advertise a voter guide, without corresponding campaign finance disclosures identifying the source of funding. The advertisements listed “Political Potatoes,” a personal blog run by activist Gregory Graf, as the sponsor.

Initially, the Secretary of State’s Office fined Graf for the violation. However, upon further review, the penalty was reassigned to Take Back Idaho. In an email to Idaho Dispatch, the office stated:

“Thank you again for notifying us of a potential campaign finance violation. As a result of our investigation, we determined that the Take Back Idaho political action committee violated Idaho Code § 67-6628 by failing to properly report expenditures in the 2024 election cycle as electioneering communications. They have been assessed a fine of $100 as a result.

Our office previously communicated to you that Greg Graf had been assessed a fine of $100 for this violation. After further review, we determined that the party responsible for the electioneering communications was Take Back Idaho. They therefore had the responsibility to properly report their expenditures, and the fine previously assessed to Greg Graf was rescinded.”

Following the announcement, Graf publicly criticized Idaho Dispatch and the author of this report, alleging misinformation regarding responsibility for the campaign finance violations. However, it is important to note that Graf used his personal blog’s Facebook page, Political Potatoes, rather than Take Back Idaho’s official channels to promote the voter guide.

Graf’s choice to advertise the guide through his blog—rather than Take Back Idaho’s official accounts—led to confusion, even within the Secretary of State’s Office, which initially issued the fine against Graf instead of Take Back Idaho. A legitimate question must be asked by the reader, on why Graf chose to use his personal platform, rather than that of the entity he was contracted to work for, to launch the advertisements.

For a voter encountering the guide on Facebook via Political Potatoes, a search of the Secretary of State’s campaign finance database would yield no corresponding filings under Political Potatoes. Graf, who owns both Political Potatoes and Snake River Strategies, does not appear to have financial disclosures under either entity. This is why voters were confused as to who was ultimately responsible.

Graf seems to assume that voters would infer Take Back Idaho—a PAC that paid him $75,000 for management and operational services—was responsible for the advertising rather than Political Potatoes, which Facebook identified as the entity that paid for the ads.

When Idaho Dispatch first reported this issue in December, we notified readers that it was difficult to ascertain who was responsible for what was, at the time, an alleged violation. We stated:

“Our report to the SOS office alleged that campaign violations may have occurred by Graf, Political Potatoes, Snake River Strategies (owned by Graf), and/or Take Back Idaho, a Political Action Committee that pays Graf for his services.”

The SOS office has now determined that Take Back Idaho was officially the entity responsible for the violation.

Idaho Dispatch would have reached out to Graf for comment, but he previously stated he would not respond to inquiries. Several years ago, Graf remarked:

“Let me revise my previous stance on never commenting on articles in your propaganda network. I’ll be happy to comment on the story about your losing the lawsuit I’ve filed against you. That’s the only story I will comment on.”

Graf later dropped his lawsuit after a judge dismissed most of it, leaving him only with the challenge of proving defamation as a public figure.

Today, Graf went against his own stance on not speaking to Idaho Dispatch and demanded that we never speak of his name again. Graf demanded that we take down any mention of his name on our website.

Idaho Dispatch stands by our reporting, and we will not comply with any ludicrous demands from political figures who are trying to silence media outlets from reporting the truth.