Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Transparency

Commentary Questions Whether Colorado Leaders Mirror The Power They Protest
Complete Colorado, Approved, Commentary, State

Commentary Questions Whether Colorado Leaders Mirror The Power They Protest

By Jon Caldara | Commentary, Complete Colorado Though most of us celebrate “No Kings Day” on July 4, the Trump-deranged got a head start last weekend with rallies around the state. Attendees bravely fought oppression by blocking traffic for people with jobs. Rally-goers demanded freedom from tyranny, many right after voting to ban all but beige house paint at their HOA meetings. After pausing briefly to DoorDash something gluten-free, they returned to the barricades to secure democracy in Colorado for one more day. They risked everything, except mild discomfort, to call the guy who won both the popular vote and the electoral vote a tyrant. Yes, I’m having fun at their expense. And yes, they have a point. When you build a country on principles instead of a per...
Federal Heights Residents Demand Answers After Police And Fire Chiefs Ousted
CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Federal Heights Residents Demand Answers After Police And Fire Chiefs Ousted

By Gabriela Vidal | CBS Colorado Four days after the Federal Heights police and fire chiefs were seemingly terminated from their positions, community members are speaking out against what they say has been a long history of retaliation against first responders in the community. "No one is sharing anything, and then with them both being terminated, by an email, without knowledge, is just not okay in any shape or form," said Renee Lund, a Federal Heights resident and volunteer victims advocate for the city. Multiple residents spoke before city council leaders Monday night, expressing their frustrations with what they felt has been a lack of transparency and accountability from the council and City Manager Jacqueline Halburnt, who they say was responsible for bo...
Report Suggests ActBlue Misled Congress On Foreign Donation Safeguards
The Federalist, Approved, National

Report Suggests ActBlue Misled Congress On Foreign Donation Safeguards

By Brianna Lyman | The Federalist ‘This presents a substantial risk for ActBlue.’ ActBlue told Congress in 2023 that it took “multilayered” steps to “root out” illegal donations from foreign citizens. But it turns out “some of the steps … described were not always followed,” according to a new report from The New York Times (NYT). ActBlue Chief Executive Regina Wallace-Jones claimed in a 2023 letter to Congress that ActBlue conducted “‘multilayered’ screenings of contributions that helped ‘root out’ those from overseas,” the New York Times reported. Such screening claimed to have included processing donations that came from foreign mailing addresses only if the donor had a U.S. passport number. Wallace-Jones also reportedly told Congress that ActBlue would refund don...
DOJ Targets ActBlue Allegations As Election Integrity Concerns Grow
TownHall.com, Approved, National

DOJ Targets ActBlue Allegations As Election Integrity Concerns Grow

By Scott McClallen | Townhall Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche suggested that the Department of Justice is investigating ActBlue after a New York Times report said that ActBlue might have lied to Congress about vetting foreign donations.  Blanche told TV show host Jesse Waters: "That's a priority of this administration and this DOJ. It's something that a lot of people have been worried about it for a very long time. You can rest assured that it includes the Department of Justice and it includes me." https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2039864164244492298?s=20 READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT TOWNHALL
“Single most insecure person I’ve ever encountered”: Former Griswold aide breaks silence ahead of AG race
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

“Single most insecure person I’ve ever encountered”: Former Griswold aide breaks silence ahead of AG race

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Reese Edwards didn’t plan to speak out. He spent less than a year inside Colorado’s Secretary of State’s office before leaving in 2020, frustrated and burned out enough to walk away. He wasn’t looking to revisit any of it. Now, with Jena Griswold running for attorney general, he’s speaking up—and doing it on the record. “I love democracy with an almost religious belief,” he told RMV. “The idea of people deciding for themselves how they will govern themselves. That’s why I took the job.” Edwards, who served as Director of Government and Public Affairs, is now going on record with a warning. He says what he witnessed inside the Secretary of State’s office—erratic leadership, blurred lines between political ambition and public duty ...
Colorado Wildlife Agency Seeks $450K More For Wolves Despite $1.5B State Budget Shortfall
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Colorado Wildlife Agency Seeks $450K More For Wolves Despite $1.5B State Budget Shortfall

Byline: By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics The panel of legislators charged with crafting the budget on Monday rejected a proposal that proponents said would increase transparency around how much Colorado Parks and Wildlife spends to bring additional wolves into the state. At the same time, the wildlife agency is seeking $450,000 in general funds for fiscal year 2026–27 — twice what it spent in 2025 — to acquire more wolves, even though the agency has not identified where the animals would come from. The request arrives as the state faces a projected $1.5 billion shortfall in the general fund budget in next year’s spending plan. Joint Budget Committee staff had recommended creating a separate budget line beginning in 2026–27 to clearly show the state’s spe...
Intelligence Community Knew in 2020 China Had Access to Voter Data
Just The News, Approved, National

Intelligence Community Knew in 2020 China Had Access to Voter Data

By John Solomon and Jerry Dunleavy | Just the News Hidden from lawmakers, new evidence emerges that the Biden White House knew that China accessed voter registration data as far back as 2020. But as a vote comes up on election security laws, legislators have been kept in the dark. The United States expressed outrage when Great Britain revealed two years ago that its voter registration databases were hacked by China in what became a global scandal. But it turns out the U.S. intelligence harbored its own secret at the time, knowing since 2020 that Beijing also gained access to American voter registration data, according to documents reviewed by Just the News and interviews with officials with direct knowledge. “[Redacted] Chinese intellige...
PUC sunset bill would allow backroom commissioner talks and expand state override of local land use decisions
Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

PUC sunset bill would allow backroom commissioner talks and expand state override of local land use decisions

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project HB26-1326 PUC Sunset Bill There is finally firm policy to share about the Sunset Bill for the Public Utilities Commission. HB26-1326’s bill page is linked first below. I had heard some rumors so it’s good to have some specifics to examine. I wanted to get this out there faster than I had time to digest, so don’t expect more than a quick rundown of the things that I find concerning. I will be watching the bill and hoping to speak against what I’m about to share with you. If you have concerns of your own that you want to share, please speak up. In broad strokes, this bill continues the PUC for a while forward, but (as is their wont) the sponsors couldn’t help tossing in some extra goodies. Some fees go up,...
Bipartisan Pressure Forces DOJ To Unredact Names In Epstein Files
The Western Journal, Approved, National

Bipartisan Pressure Forces DOJ To Unredact Names In Epstein Files

By Bryan Chai | The Western Journal In today’s polarized and divisive political climate, it’s not too often you see a Republican and Democrat fiercely aligning on any issue. Outside of the rare issue or two, the opposing sides of the American political duopoly seldom find common ground. However, when it comes to the fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, it appears they have little issue working hand-in-hand. California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna and Kentucky GOP Rep. Thomas Massie are two such strange bedfellows — and they’ve got the Epstein files directly in their sights. One of the top issues the two men have with the slow-roll revelations of those Epstein files is that of potential co-conspirators being “improperly” redacted in the documents. ...
External Audit Planned Following Superintendent Resignation in Cherry Creek
DENVER7, Approved, Local

External Audit Planned Following Superintendent Resignation in Cherry Creek

By: Natalie Chuck | Denver7 The superintendent resigned and the chief of human resources was placed on administrative leave within days of one another following a series of Denver7 Investigates stories. DENVER — "Immediate action was necessary." Those are the words of Cherry Creek School Board President Anne Egan amid the announcement of an external audit following a series of Denver7 Investigates reports which put district leadership under the microscope. In a statement released ahead of a public meeting on Monday night, the board of education announced additional reforms and changes are being made after drastic administrative changes. Just over one week has passed since Christopher Smith, the district's now former superintendent, resigned. ...