LAPWAI, Idaho — The tribal government for the Nez Perce Tribe didn’t name Republican Idaho Sen. Dan Foreman in a statement Monday afternoon condemning a racist statement, but it’s clear they aren’t happy with him.
Foreman allegedly told Nez Perce Tribal member and state house candidate Trish Carter-Goodheart to “go back to where you came from,” a remark he later denied making in a Facebook post.
“Given our history and presence in the region, it is difficult to interpret the recent incident as anything other than an attempt to racially divide people while diminishing the value of some relative to others,” the statement reads. “The Nez Perce Tribe refuses to tolerate this kind of hateful and divisive politics and we ask other elected leaders in this region to stand with us in pushing back against such offensive behavior.”
The statement noted a recent event held by a number of human rights groups and the Department of Justice in Moscow recently that highlighted efforts to combat hate crimes in the region, and said the tribe is “extremely disheartened” by Foreman’s alleged remarks.
Foreman chocked up the accusations as “patently false” attacks meant to sabotage his political career.
“It seems the more effective a conservative elected official is, the more that person is attacked by the left and most, not all, of the media,” Foreman said.
Foreman didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Monday evening.
