Some Colorado House Republicans want to impeach Secretary of State Jena Griswold
A group of Colorado House Republicans has penned a letter asking for the impeachment of Secretary of State Jena Griswold. They say they first submitted the resolution last month and now they want a hearing.
In the letter to Democrat House Speaker Julie McCluskie, the group of state GOP representatives describe Griswold as using "her position as a platform for her partisan political ideology and has proven herself unfit for this elected position" because they claim she requested the removal of a presidential candidate from the Colorado Primary Ballot.
The lawsuit asking for the removal named the Colorado Secretary of State as a plaintiff. Griswold did not bring the lawsuit but did say she agreed with the Colorado Supreme Court's decision that would have removed former President Donald Trump. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states do not have the right to remove presidential candidates.
Griswold released this statement to CBS News Colorado: "The Colorado Republican Party continues to focus on conspiracies and political games. I will not be intimidated by this baseless proceeding. While the Republican House Caucus wastes taxpayer dollars to score cheap political points, you can find me working for Colorado voters – Republican, Democratic, and Unaffiliated alike – to ensure they can make their voices heard in free and fair elections."
Read the letter from the House Republicans in its entirety below:
Dear Speaker McCluskie:
On behalf of myself and my colleagues, we believe it is imperative that the Resolution, Articles of Impeachment for Secretary of State Jena Griswold, put forward by Minority Leader Pugliese and myself, be scheduled during this pivotal time. Since being elected, the Secretary of State has used her position as a platform for her partisan political ideology and has proven herself unfit for this elected position.
The Secretary of State has consistently been criticized for her lack of transparency and questionable bias. Her partisan political beliefs are constantly the subject of her communication to the state indicating her lack of respect for facilitating unbiased and fair elections. The Secretary of State's request for the removal of a Presidential Candidate from a primary ballot, on the basis of accusations and personal feelings, demonstrates a lack of professionalism and integrity.
The Secretary of State's effort to remove a Presidential Candidate from the ballot, recently ruled unconstitutional by a unanimous vote of the U.S. Supreme Court, would have silenced the voice of Coloradans statewide, thus displaying a direct threat to Coloradans' freedom of speech. Minority Leader Pugliese and I submitted this Resolution on February 8th and it has yet to be scheduled for the floor. We, the undersigned members of the House of Representatives, implore you to add this Resolution to the House schedule immediately.
Signed: Rep. Ryan Armagost; Rep. Rose Pugliese; Rep. Ty Winter; Rep. Scott Bottoms; Rep. Mary Bradfield; Rep. Brandi Bradley; Rep. Marc Catlin; Rep. Ken DeGraaf; Rep. Gabe Evans; Rep. Lisa Frizell; Rep. Anthony Hartsook; Rep. Richard Holtorf; Rep. Mike Lynch; Rep. Matt Soper; Rep. Rick Taggart; Rep. Ron Weinberg; Rep. Don Wilson
