Colorado's KNUS-AM played a key role in boosting unsupported claims that the 2020 election was rigged by Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems. KNUS' owner, Salem Radio, is now offering an apology and retraction. Several KNUS hosts platformed Joe Oltmann, the podcaster from Douglas County, who claimed to have overheard an Antifa conference call where a Dominion exec bragged about rigging the election. (Yes, this was the same claim central to Mike Lindell's defamation judgment this week)

NEW: MyPillowGuy Mike Lindell found liable for defamation for his statements about Dominion Voting Systems executive Eric Coomer. Federal jury orders Lindell to pay $2.3M, far less than the $62.7M requested by Coomer’s attorneys. Jurors found Lindell engaged in civil conspiracy with his company FrankSpeech to broadcast the defamatory claims but did not find MyPillow liable as requested by the plaintiff’s team

Day 10 of MyPillowGuy Mike Lindell’s election rigging defamation trial in Denver began with a failed attempt by Lindell’s team to bring him back to the stand. US District Court Judge Nina Wang rejected that saying Lindell had covered the issue at hand in his 2+ days in the stand. The defense then rested and, outside the presence of the jury, asked the judge to toss the defamation cases against Lindell’s companies, FrankSpeech and MyPillow.

Day 8 of MyPillow Guy Mike Lindell’s election rigging defamation trial in Denver begins. Lindell is on the stand for a third day. The judge is expected to rule on the admissibility of clips from Lindell’s election conspiracy theory documentaries. I’d like to take this moment to express my thanks to my pillow, not to be confused with MyPillow. The wood benches in federal court are like something out of an 1800s church, the kind where you hear more about God’s wrath than God’s love. This pillow has literally saved my a—.

This morning one of my girls put maple syrup on the dog. And that might not be the most bizarre thing I witness today. Day 7 of MyPillow Guy Mike Lindell’s election rigging defamation trial in Denver begins shortly. Lindell is still on the stand. Reminder: I try to relay key moments in the trial, but I am not logging every development here. For that, check out my talented colleague @TheMarissaSol’s rolling coverage here: 9news.com/article/news/p…

Day 6 of MyPillow guy Mike Lindell‘s election rigging defamation trial in Denver begins now. Lindell is expected to take the stand today. On Friday, jurors heard testimony from a cyber security analyst who said he was punished when he challenged Lindell’s claims. For those curious, the featured item of the day being sold to support Lindell is the king size pillow. The MyCross necklace also remains 50% off.

Day 4 of MyPillow Guy Mike Lindell’s election rigging defamation trial in Denver begins soon. Lindell is now offering a 50% discount on MyCross necklaces to support him during the trial.
We expect testimony today from Joe Oltmann, the Colorado GOP power player and podcaster who originated the claim that Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems and its exec Eric Coomer rigged the 2020 election.

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."

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

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.

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

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.

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.

KOA's @MandyConnell repeated a claim that a Venezuelan gang is extorting truckers in Aurora, CO. It's from a TikTok video that appears to satirize anti-migrant hysteria. The TikTok creator said 18 Venezuelans got out of an SUV with "Venezuelan gang member" tattooed on their arms.

https://twitter.com/KOAColorado/status/1836134384618856874

"18 Venezuelan got out of the SUV," the TikTok creator said in the video. "He pulled up his shirt and showed me his pew-pew and he had "Venezuelan gang member" tattooed on his forearm so I knew he was a Venezuelan gang member."

NEW: @AuroraMayorMike and Councilwoman @DaniJurinsky release a joint statement on Venezuelan gang activity, saying, "overstated claims fueled by social media and through select news organizations are simply not true." Statement says "a select few properties" affected. #copolitics @AuroraMayorMike @DaniJurinsky Jurinsky was the chief driver of claims repeated uncritically by some local news media and promoted heavily by Fox News, InfoWars, and other conservative media. Coffman had pushed back on her claims, but he offered conflicting statements in interviews, sometimes within hours.

NEW: Republican activist takes credit for racist signs in Denver #copolitics 9news.com/article/news/l… Sabo, a self-described street artist, who publicly mused about shooting Latinos this week is claiming responsibility for racist signs that appeared overnight in Denver on Thursday.

Much is being said about when/where Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will do in-depth interviews. LOCAL JOURNALISTS: Prepare now, not after your outlet suddenly lands an interview with a national newsmaker. What issues of local importance/national significance will you discuss? (1/8) National newsmakers sometimes turn to local journalists for interviews perceived as less challenging, with interviewers unprepared to discuss issues with depth and context. But local journalists can and should do thoughtful, meaningful interviews with national newsmakers. (2/8)

NEW: Rep. Lauren Boebert claims credit for projects in Colorado even when she votes against the bills funding them. Boebert said in our #CO4 debate that she would still have voted no if she was the deciding vote, killing those projects she claims credit for now. #copolitics #CO4 candidate Deborah Flora has called for parents to pull their kids from public elementary/middle schools. @cologop recently told parents to pull kids from all public schools. I asked Flora what America would be like without public education. She wouldn't directly answer.

NEW: Former Trump attorney @JennaEllisEsq agrees to a three-year suspension of her Colorado law license for a felony guilty plea in Georgia for attempting to overturn the 2020 election results. #copolitics @JennaEllisEsq "Attorneys are often disbarred after being convicted of a felony, particularly where the conviction flows from criminal acts committed while acting as an attorney," the stipulation reads. "However, disbarment is not automatic, even for felony convictions."

NEW: @msudenver says its own police force ziptied doors when protesters were in Tivoli Hall, not protesters. MSU Denver President Janine Davidson made the false claim in a public message to the community. #copolitics @msudenver MSU Denver's false claim that protesters had locked doors with zipties came in a note from the President titled: "Protesters escalate tactics." This comes after @DenverPolice said that they would not sweep the pro-Palestinian encampment on the quad unless the situation escalated.

NEW: #CO4 candidate State Rep @richard_holtorf unleashed a misogynist attack on GOP primary rival @laurenboebert today, saying Boebert dresses like a prostitute. "High heels, short skirt, low-cut blouse," Holtorf said on KNUS. "She needs to learn how to dress." #copolitics Holtorf compared Boebert's outfits to prostitutes walking Colfax in Denver. "My five daughters, if they stood in front of me... dressed like Boebert, I would be disgusted," Holtorf said.