By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice
In response to the recent leak of election system passwords by Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s office, Colorado House Republicans issued a call for her resignation. The statement came shortly after Griswold acknowledged the incident, which she described as a “partial” leak involving passwords for some voting components, adding that her office is actively investigating.
Minority Leader Pugliese questioned the extent of Griswold’s oversight, stating, “Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s reckless disregard for professional standards and consistent lack of transparency has threatened trust in our democratic system by causing doubt in the security of our election process.” Pugliese called for Griswold’s resignation, emphasizing, “The people of Colorado deserve better.”
During an interview with 9News’ Kyle Clark, Griswold addressed the situation, explaining, “This is not the full password to access voting equipment. We have layers of security and, out of just an abundance of caution, have staff in the field changing passwords, looking at access logs, and continuing our investigation.”
Griswold maintained that this is “not a security threat” to the state’s election infrastructure, citing multiple security measures in place, including the need for both a second password and physical access to voting equipment.
In a statement issued by the Colorado GOP, the party contested Griswold’s characterization, highlighting her own office’s election rules that restrict BIOS password access to only a few trusted state employees. According to the Colorado GOP, “Confidential passwords were leaked to individuals with physical access. That is all anyone needs to know. It demands more than a press release.” The statement further questioned Griswold’s description of the passwords as “partial,” asserting, “This is not true for the BIOS,” adding that “its vulnerabilities present such a grave threat” that they require additional safeguards.
Griswold, in response to questions about notifying county clerks, clarified that her office “began an investigation and [was] working with appropriate federal partners.” She further stated that “there is no evidence of any type of equipment being compromised” and that the steps taken by her office were “out of an abundance of caution.”
In a radio appearance on the Jeff and Bill Show, Williams highlighted his concerns about transparency, stating, “She [Griswold] admits that she wouldn’t have disclosed this information had it not been for [the GOP] breaking the news. So there’s kind of a cover-up going on here.”
During the interview, Williams addressed the perceived double standard in handling election security breaches, referencing Tina Peters’ case: “Jena Griswold wanted Tina to go to jail for essentially the same thing in Mesa County. My question is: Jena Griswold did this for 63 different counties with over 600 passwords. Does that mean she gets to go to jail or prison as well?”
Williams also questioned Griswold’s handling of election oversight, calling for an investigation and oversight hearings: “We need some legislative oversight here. Probably the governor’s office or the attorney general’s office needs to look into this, but they won’t because it’s controlled by Democrats.” He emphasized the impact on public confidence just days before the election, asking, “Can Coloradans trust this election?”
Assistant Minority Leader Ty Winter urged Colorado voters to participate in upcoming elections to “bring balance and responsible governance back to Colorado.” Winter emphasized the need for accountability, stating, “This recent breach highlights the critical need for public transparency and oversight to protect the integrity of our voting system and restore public trust.”