Rocky Mountain Voice: Boots on the Ground, Uncovering Colorado’s Hidden Truths

By Heidi Ganahl | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

Rocky Mountain Voice has spent the last two years covering stories that don’t fit neatly into a news cycle. We’ve reported on fraud, government overreach, and policy failures by doing the unglamorous work — pulling records, talking to whistleblowers, and sticking with stories long after other outlets lost interest.

Our commitment isn’t just to report. It’s to make sure Coloradans have access to information that challenges the official narrative. Looking back, it’s hard to ignore how much of this would have stayed buried if no one had been willing to stick with it.

Take Tina Peters, then Mesa County Clerk, who found herself in the crosshairs after preserving election records. Much of the media responded by framing her as a ‘MAGA election denier,’ condemning her—much the way Judge Barrett did during her sentencing. RMV chose to look closer, covering her trial, her deteriorating health in custody, and her continued efforts to seek justice.

We kept reporting because what unfolded in her case raised questions that went well beyond one verdict — about evidence that never reached a jury and decisions made out of public view.

When Peters was later moved to Larimer County due to safety concerns, we detailed the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office rationale, focusing on the real human cost of a prosecution that had long since become political.

By December 2025, RMV broke details of Peters’ presidential pardon request, including new evidence tied to her election-related claims. We also reported on redactions in federal prison correspondence concerning her potential transfer, raising questions about transparency in a system quick to punish dissent. 

These stories aren’t just headlines. For people trying to raise concerns about our elections, they’re often the only way those questions don’t get brushed aside.

Election integrity extends well beyond one case. In December, RMV reported on Jena Griswold telling the U.S. Department of Justice to “take a hike” in response to a request for unredacted voter data. While many outlets treated the exchange as political theater, we focused on what sat underneath it — long-standing concerns about Colorado’s voter rolls.

Our reporting revisited documented issues, including voter registration issues and voting errors, and prior settlements with watchdog groups such as Judicial Watch. Griswold’s dismissive response to the DOJ masked deeper questions — including how her exposure of the counties’ BIOS passwords could threaten the security of active elections.

We also connected these concerns to national patterns, from Minnesota’s voter roll problems to Michigan’s acceptance of invalid Social Security numbers. The risk wasn’t theoretical. It was measurable — and largely ignored.

Wolf depredation, livestock losses, and wolf deaths were widely documented. RMV’s reporting focused on what led there — early warnings from rural Colorado, legal challenges arguing federal review had been bypassed, and growing pressure from lawmakers who said the plan had moved faster than the law allowed. As those concerns made their way from court filings and agency letters to Congress and the Department of the Interior, RMV stayed with the through-line that connected them.

In the energy sector, RMV amplified voices like Michelina Paulek of the Energy Council to explain how regulatory complexity is squeezing Colorado producers. In August 2025, we detailed how permits and leases were being denied or delayed under shifting rules, hurting family-run operations. By July, Paulek helped break down a BLM–Colorado MOU that reshaped oil and gas development and contributed to losses on multigenerational land.

While much of the media focused on climate goals, RMV reported on what those policies meant in practice: lost jobs, declining revenues, and communities paying the price.

Education issues hit close to home as well. In Jefferson County, RMV reported on school board candidate Michael Yocum’s sealed juvenile sexual offense, leading the teachers’ union to withdraw its endorsement and return an $11,000 donation. We tied that reporting to broader concerns families raised about transparency and decision-making in schools — concerns administrators often denied, but parents continued to voice.

At RMV, we’re not just watching these issues unfold. We live here. Our reporting shows what happens when silence sets in — and what it takes to push back against it.

Independent journalism doesn’t sustain itself. It continues because people decide it matters. If you value reporting that stays with uncomfortable stories instead of moving on, that support makes a difference. 

We’ll keep showing up where others don’t, together, because that’s where the truth usually comes into focus.

Editor’s note: Rocky Mountain Voice was created to pay attention to what’s happening on the ground across Colorado. In addition to newsroom reporting, we publish guest commentaries from residents who are engaged in local issues and willing to speak up about what they’re seeing. Information on submitting a commentary is available at https://rockymountainvoice.com/commentary-submissions/.

Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.