DISQUS

Truthteller · 1 year ago

Interesting that you didn't report the fraud by the OPPONENTS as was reported in other sources, to include Face The State, last week:

"For the second time in as many days, opponents of a citizen-led civil rights initiative are facing allegations that they manufactured voter fraud allegations. The latest dust up: A Democrat state legislative aide who had claimed to be a victim of voter fraud saw her complaint dismissed after state officials learned that she was not a registered voter.

On February 26, Chloe Johnson filed a complaint with Secretary of State Mike Coffman's office alleging that she was tricked into supporting Amendment 46, also known as the Colorado Civil Rights Initiative, a ballot effort designed to end race and gender preferences in government hiring, education, and contracting. The complaint was formally dismissed by the state's Office of Administrative Courts because Johnson never registered to vote.

"If you know you aren't registered, then you have perjured yourself by signing a petition." Rich Coolidge, Dept. of State spokesperson

"I wasn't a registered elector at the time, so they dismissed my case," said Johnson. "I thought I was registered and that I registered last year when I turned 18." More than six weeks after lodging her complaint, Johnson is still not a registered voter, though she claims to be in the process of registering. Voters can obtain voter registration forms and verify their registration status online through the Secretary of State's Web site.

Under Colorado law you must be a registered voter in order to sign a petition. According to Rich Coolidge, Coffman's spokesman, "If you know you aren't registered, then you have perjured yourself by signing a petition."

Johnson had sought to have her name removed from a petition supporting Amendment 46 on the grounds that she was misled by the petitioner. Johnson claims that she signed the petition because she believes in "preventing discrimination anywhere," but that after signing it and during the course of her legislative internship with Rep. Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora, she became outraged when she learned that the initiative would not "end discrimination," but was "in fact a petition for anti-affirmative action." Face The State attempted to contact Carroll, who did not return calls for comment Monday.

Upset by this revelation, Johnson says she called the office of Gov. Bill Ritter, a Democrat, and requested that her name be removed from the petition. She was instructed to contact Coffman's office about the matter, which she did, leading her to subsequently file a complaint.

The initiative specifically reads: "The state shall not discriminate against or grant preferential treatment to any group or individual on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public contracting, or public education."

In addition to interning for a state legislator, Johnson is a political science major at the University of Colorado at Denver. When asked how she was confused by the petitions intent despite her background, Johnson replied, "There was nothing in the wording that said anything about ending affirmative action; it just talked about ending discrimination."

The dismissal of Johnson's complaint comes on the heels of a Face The State investigation made public Monday revealing that CCRI backers are now questioning the validity of similar allegations made by another Colorado woman, Dara Burwell. While Burwell had also complained that she was tricked into signing on in support of the initiative, the fact that she works as a professional diversity trainer raised eyebrows with her political foes. While Burwell made her allegations at an April 1 press conference, she has not yet filed an official complaint with Coffman's office."

bmenezes · 1 year ago

And that justifies the purported deception by the Connerly people, how? Oh, and quoting Face the State as a source of anything other than right-wing falsehoods and other misinformation -- the primary product of that GOP-funded website -- probably isn't going to win you a lot of support in the community of ideas.

Cara DeGette · 1 year ago

Today's lawsuit... ... Is not related to Chloe Johnson, who, based on the above characterization, we should note has not been charged by authorities with fraud or perjury. Her complaint to the Secretary of State has been dismissed.

In other Amendment 46-related news, the Secretary of State has scheduled hearings in July for several others who have filed complaints, alleging they were misled by petition circulators.

CCJNew · 1 year ago

No investigation Truthteller, I hate to break it to you but . . . Face the State doesn't do investigative journalism. They argue a partisan agenda.

johne · 1 year ago

interesting development in Missouri calling in the Minute Men to help gather signatures:

http://www.azcentral...

Truthteller · 1 year ago

Heh. What do you think.... ....that Colorado Confidential does?

Truthteller · 1 year ago

So, are you claiming that the report is false? Upon what facts do you base that claim?  Other than your opinion about the nature of Face The State.......

I see you don't like them, but I don't see a serious attempt at refuting the claim in any way.  How does THAT pass in the community of ideas?

Truthteller · 1 year ago

And her complaint WAS dismissed.... ....so isn't that very relevant to the story?  Shouldn't that have been included in your reporting?  But you didn't mention it at ALL.  Silence.  How is that impartial journalistic reporting of events of public importance?

bmenezes · 1 year ago

Face the State's documented history of misinformation, that's what Face the State and its operator, conservative activist and Independence Institute operative Brad Jones, have a well-documented history of using falsehoods, distortions of fact and other types of misinformation as their method of dispensing "news."  That track record and Jones' own public track record as a serial misinformer (http://colorado.medi...) speak for themselves.

Truthteller · 1 year ago

You still have not given any facts... ....that would refute the claim made in this instance.  So do you admit that, in this one instance, their reporting was correct and accurate, or not?

Dr B · 1 year ago

Go Progressives! Excellent story.

Truthteller · 1 year ago

From you silence, we must presume... ...that you do not deny the facts reported, even though by Mr. Jones at Face The State.  Guess the factual accuracy and completeness of the "media matters" only when you can bash at conservatives and Republicans, eh?

tjinc · 1 year ago

signatures challenged The so-called "truthteller" has it wrong. Ms. Johnson was under the impression that she was a registered voter. Her registration couldn't be verified. Big difference from lying.

On the other hand, the petition circulators were taught carefully how to deliver their talking points so that all but the most experienced people in the area of affirmative action and equal opportunity could be fooled into signing the petitions.

This degradation of our most fundamental citizen involvement in our political process is extraordinarily dangerous to our civil liberty. It doesn't matter what side of the aisle you agree with. Be very afraid of the corporate takeover of the citizen's referendum process.

Truthteller · 1 year ago

I posted the whole story... ....and her complaint was dismissed because she wasn't a registered voter.  It said so quite specifically.  Further, it included her claim that she thought she was registered, as well as numerous other facts not reported here, though clearly relevant to the issue.

So what is so "wrong?"  Why is that supposedly "so-called" truthtelling?

No doubt you receive some small personnal satisfaction out of accusing those who you perceive to be on the other side of politics from you of lying, but you've just engaged in it yourself.  How does that make you feel?