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Tag: Jena Griswold

American Rights Alliance files amicus brief, backs Tina Peters’ habeas petition over political targeting
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Approved, Local, National, State, yourNEWS

American Rights Alliance files amicus brief, backs Tina Peters’ habeas petition over political targeting

By yourNEWS | yournews.com Denver, CO — Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters is seeking release from detention through a federal habeas corpus petition, alleging that her prosecution and incarceration violate federal law and her constitutional rights. The case, Tina Peters v. John Feyen and Philip J. Weiser, Civil Action No. 1:25-cv-00425-STV, is currently before U.S. District Court Judge Scott T. Varholak in the District of Colorado. Peters, convicted at the state level for actions taken while serving as the chief election official for Mesa County during the 2020 election, is now challenging the legitimacy of her prosecution. Her legal team argues that her actions were not only lawful but mandated by her duties under federal law to preserve election records. The America...
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Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold joins Democratic primary for attorney general
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, State, Top Stories

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold joins Democratic primary for attorney general

By Ernest Luning | Colorado Politics Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced Monday that she is seeking the Democratic nomination for attorney general in next year's election, promising to "stand up to Donald Trump to protect our rights and freedoms." "Attorneys general are on the front lines of defending our rights and our freedoms, which are under massive attack from Elon Musk and Donald Trump," Griswold told Colorado Politics prior to her campaign launch. "And I have a proven track record of standing up to MAGA extremists and Donald Trump over the last six and a half years of serving as secretary of state, and I hope to continue that as attorney general." Added Griswold: "I think we're at a tremendous risk nationally when there's a president who does not believe in ...
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Griswold sues against Trump’s executive order on elections but is a case study for it
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Approved, National, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Griswold sues against Trump’s executive order on elections but is a case study for it

By Rocky Mountain Voice Editorial Board When Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced that she was joining a multi-state lawsuit to block President Trump’s Executive Order (EO) on election integrity, she declared the action a defense of democracy itself. “We will not wait on the sidelines while Donald Trump tries to legislate from the Oval Office and defies the Constitution,” Griswold said in an April 3 press release. But while Griswold accuses President Trump of federal overreach, her own record suggests a pattern of constitutional violations that have unfolded under the banner of election protection.  In fact, her treatment of Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters has become a case study in why federal oversight of elections—as President Trump’s EO proposes—may be more nec...
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Epp: Shake Ups at CDoS — Is a Perkins Coie Alum Now Running CO Elections?
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Approved, Colorado Free Press, Commentary, Top Stories

Epp: Shake Ups at CDoS — Is a Perkins Coie Alum Now Running CO Elections?

By Ashe Epp | Colorado Free Press On Wednesday, the Secretary of State issued a much anticipated response to President Trump’s Election Integrity EO. Jena hasn’t posted on X since November, and the department has been quiet — hence the “much anticipated” billing. The release fell flat. But the header information is news. The Deputy Secretary of State is listed as Andrew Kline. What happened to Christopher Perry Beall? There has been no official announcement that (former?) Deputy Secretary Christopher Perry Beall left the Department. It’s an explosive development.  Colorado Free Press spoke to a county clerk that confirmed, “[He] told us Monday he took a five week sabbatical. He said he used to work for Phil Weiser, and he was going to go back to being a l...
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Trump order sparks backlash from Colorado election officials over proof of citizenship rule
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Approved, kdvr.com, State

Trump order sparks backlash from Colorado election officials over proof of citizenship rule

By Heather Willard | Fox31 News DENVER (KDVR) — President Donald Trump signed a new executive order Tuesday that would overhaul U.S. elections. The order includes requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, among other measures. Colorado elections officials called the order “unlawful.” Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold told FOX31 that her office is still reviewing the entire order in conjunction with the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, but said the order would, in some states, “effectively become a poll tax.” The executive order is called “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections,” with a stated goal of cultivating free, fair and honest elections. The order requires proof of citizenship on national...
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Complaint alleges Secretary of State Griswold has violated her own department’s campaign finance rules
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Complaint alleges Secretary of State Griswold has violated her own department’s campaign finance rules

By Rocky Mountain Voice Jena Griswold just can't seem to catch a break. After the Republican Party tattled on the secretary of state, detailing disclosure of election system passwords for months on her own website and up to within days of the general election, and after the Colorado Libertarian Party sued her for the disclosure, she has had a rough go at potentially attempting to earn her party's nomination for governor by first announcing her candidacy as a Democrat. The latest in a winter of missteps for the secretary of state is a campaign finance complaint claiming Griswold has violated her own department's rules for campaign announcements. The complaint, detailed in a Colorado Politics report, was filed Jan. 14 by The Public Trust Institute, represented by Suzanne Taheri o...
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Lundberg: More light needs to be shed on Griswoldgate, despite ‘move along’ spin
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Commentary, State

Lundberg: More light needs to be shed on Griswoldgate, despite ‘move along’ spin

By Kevin Lundberg | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Nothing to see here, move along, move along… This week it was widely reported that a “third party” investigation concluded Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s public posting of hundreds of passwords for months on her official website was inadvertent and therefore no harm was done. Absent in this report is an adequate analysis of the serious compromise that occurred to the election equipment which the passwords were intended to protect (no one really knows who may have found this information online or how it may have been used to manipulate election results), nor did the report deal with the fact that the secretary of state (SOS) hid this password breach from the public and the county clerks while the election ...
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‘There are still a lot of unanswered questions’: Clerks react to investigative report on BIOS password exposure
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

‘There are still a lot of unanswered questions’: Clerks react to investigative report on BIOS password exposure

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice  A report detailing the findings of an investigation into the activities of the Colorado secretary of state's office during the public exposure of BIOS passwords, in the days leading up to the 2024 election, was released Monday. It drew mixed reactions from clerks on both sides of the Continental Divide. "I’m glad that they did an independent investigation," said Mesa County Clerk Bobbie Gross. "The secretary of state should be accountable and responsible for her actions.” Similarly, El Paso County Clerk Steve Schleiker praised the action. "The investigation demonstrated a commitment to accountability by addressing the serious error and trying to ensure public trust in the election processes," he said. The compl...
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Tina Peters appeal filed while justice awaits Jena Griswold
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Tina Peters appeal filed while justice awaits Jena Griswold

By Heidi Ganahl | Rocky Mountain Voice The legal journey of Tina Peters, former Clerk and Recorder of Mesa County, Colorado, has become emblematic of the contentious debates surrounding election integrity and judicial fairness.  Peters now seeks bond pending appeal, citing significant procedural and constitutional concerns in her trial. Peters was convicted on charges that stemmed from her decision to hire a cybersecurity expert to create forensic images of Mesa County's election management system (EMS). This action followed a directive from the Colorado Secretary of State to perform a software update, which Peters believed might erase key election records. Her intent, she insists, was to comply with federal laws mandating the preservation of election records for 22 months. The cr...
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Exchange between clerks and secretary of state’s office after password leak
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Approved, KOAA News, State

Exchange between clerks and secretary of state’s office after password leak

By James Gavato | KOAA-TV NBC-5 Colorado Springs An exchange between the Adams County Clerk Josh Zygielbaum and Christopher Beall, the Colorado Deputy Secretary of State took place on November 1 after a civil servant from the Secretary of State's office posted partial passwords to voting systems online. It happened during a phone between the Secretary of State's Office and several county clerks. During the call, Beall admits the secretary of state's office did not want to disclose that passwords to Colorado voting systems were mistakenly posted online to avoid a 'media storm.' "It's really hard not answering media questions the way I actually want to," said Zygielbaum. READ THE FULL STORY AT KOAA-TV NBC-5 COLORADO SPRINGS
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