Denver’s best interviewer, @cprwarner, tries to get @SenCoryGardner to answer they key ACA question he’s been dodging and he gets the patented talk-over-and-ignore tactic that Colorado journalists know well. #cosen#copolitics
Lots of politicians have lots of tactics to avoid questions. Gardner’s go-to move is to interrupt and talk over journalists as soon as they offer the topic of the question, making it difficult for the audience to even hear what is being asked.
Gardner’s opponent, John Hickenlooper, will often challenge the premise of questions, which is fair, but it seems to devolve into frustration that he’s being questioned at all, as when he told @Marshall9News that journalists should be “protecting” him from ethics complaints.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
NEW: A statement from Colorado Secretary of State @JenaGriswold (D) moves closer to taking responsibility for her office's leak of voting machine passwords. "I am regretful for this error," Griswold said in the statement. #copolitics
@JenaGriswold Griswold told 9NEWS last week that only her office was investigating her office's security breach. @GovOfCo Polis (D) called for an outside investigation. Griswold's office now says it has retained "a well-regarded law firm to conduct an outside investigation."
The SOS's office did not name the outside law firm. I've asked. They say Griswold's office "will release any findings as the law permits." Colorado open records law has broad carve-outs that could block the release of most or all of the probe. I've asked if they'll do that.
NEW: @GovofCO Polis (D) announces Colorado will deploy “human capital, air and ground assets, and other logistical support” to help SOS @JenaGriswold (D) change leaked voting system passwords statewide. #copolitics
The password changes and review of logs/video for potential tampering is a process that must occur on-site in impacted county clerk offices. SOS has declined to say how many. Goal is to complete work tonight
Griswold did not inform county election clerks that her office had posted voting machine passwords online for months and did not begin the process of changing the leaked passwords until after the security breach became public.
NEW: Spokesperson for Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold (D) confirms that "partial passwords" for Colorado voting systems were inadvertently posted online. The @ColoGOP first flagged the issue. #copolitics
The @ColoGOP says SOS @JenaGriswold (D) must comply with a list of election integrity demands or the GOP will call on county clerks to decertify the impacted voting machines.
@cologop @JenaGriswold SOS Griswold's office says there is no "immediate security threat" because no one could have used the leaked passwords to compromise voting systems unless they obtained physical access to the equipment through ID-badged secure rooms that are video-monitored.
Aurora Fire tells me capacity for the Trump rally is about 10,300. The guy with the clicker at the door says 1,500 entered in the first hour. Two hours until Trump speaks. Imagine it will be packed. I’ll thread updates from the rally here. #copolitics
“Come here! I’m gonna give you a hug. I don’t watch your show. You’re so full of shit.” - Katrena from Kittridge, CO
Mix of cheers and boos as Colorado GOP chairman Dave Williams takes the stage. Williams just turned back an attempt by a faction of the party to replace him over allegations of incompetence and corruption.
NEW: Tina Peters’ sentencing in her election system tampering case has started. I’ll thread details here. Or watch live: #copolitics 9news.com/mobile/article…
Peters’ attorney asks for a sentence of probation instead of prison. Calls the prosecution highly politicized. Not sure how well that will go over with the judge, who wasn’t interested in political speeches during the trial. A pastor is now speaking on Peters’ behalf.
The pastor asks the judge to remand Peters into the custody of his church in California with a promise that she won’t be involved in Colorado politics anymore. Three people who were supposed to speak for Peters haven’t shown up, so now the people are speaking for the prosecution.
NEW: Colorado has a new welcome sign, of sorts. The billboard at the CO-WY state line warning "Venezuela Ahead, Be Prepared!" bears the name of Donald Trump's biggest billionaire megadonor. #copolitics 9news.com/article/news/p…
The billboard says “Paid for by Clipper Properties, LLC, Tim Mellon, Member.” Mellon gave $125M to a pro-Trump super PAC. The NYT describes Mellon as a "reclusive billionaire" whose autobiography said Blacks became "even more belligerent" after the expansion of social programs.
9NEWS has not independently confirmed that the Tim Mellon who paid for the billboard is the conservative megadonor of the same name. The law firm for the LLC hung up the phone repeatedly when Mellon's name was mentioned.