2 weeks Ago
Leading Colorado Republicans on Wednesday called on Democratic Secretary of State Jena Griswold to resign after the state's top election official admitted that someone in her office posted a spreadsheet online that "improperly" included passwords to voting equipment used throughout the state. Griswold denied on Tuesday that the inadvertent disclosure — brought to the public's attention by the Colorado Republican Party — poses a threat to next week's election, since the exposed passwords are just one of several elements required to access voting systems. "We have no reason to believe that there are any security breaches or compromises in the state of Colorado," Griswold said in an interview with 9News .
She said her office is investigating the lapse and "immediately" notified a federal agency that oversees election security. Colorado GOP Chairman Dave Williams on Wednesday said Griswold's response is inadequate and urged Republican lawmakers to convene an emergency legislative hearing to "uncover what the Secretary has been hiding from the public." Williams, who began raising money on Tuesday to sue Griswold, told Colorado Politics that he believes the Democratic official should step down.
"She admitted to the press that she refused to disclose this password leak until our State Party exposed it," Williams said in an email. "This is a cover-up." Republican U.
S. Rep. Lauren Boebert and the Colorado House Republicans also demanded that Griswold resign, describing the password leak as only the latest in a series of missteps that undermine confidence in the vote.
The Colorado GOP on Tuesday publicized its discovery of the passwords in a file posted to the Secretary of State's website that listed voting equipment used by county clerks. The passwords were listed in "hidden" portions of the file that were made visible by selecting "unhide" after clicking a particular tab on the spreadsheet, according to an accompanying affidavit signed by someone whose name was redacted. The affidavit stated that spreadsheets downloaded from early August through the middle of last week contained the hidden passwords, though the state GOP noted that an amended version of the file appeared to have been posted on Oct.
24. "While the above does not constitute evidence of a breach by itself, it does demonstrate a major lapse in basic systems security and password management," the state GOP said in its release. A Griswold spokesperson said in a written statement Tuesday that knowledge of the posted passwords by themselves didn't pose "an immediate security threat to Colorado's elections" and wouldn't have an impact on ballot tabulation.
"Colorado elections include many layers of security," the spokesperson said. "There are two unique passwords for every election equipment component, which are kept in separate places and held by different parties. Passwords can only be used with physical in-person access to a voting system.
" That access, the spokesperson added, can only be gained in secure rooms that log entry and are monitored by video surveillance around the clock. Boebert said Wednesday in a post on social media that Griswold's mistakes threaten voters' trust in elections, though the Republican lawmaker stressed that she believes voters can be confident that local election officials will make sure their votes count. "It’s no surprise to see another inexcusable blunder from Colorado’s Secretary of Shame Jena Griswold," said Boebert in a Facebook post .
"Instead of focusing on doing her actual job, she’s spent more time promoting herself for a future failed gubernatorial run. She should resign." Griswold and Democratic Gov.
Jared Polis are both term-limited in 2026, and Griswold's name is often mentioned as a possible Polis successor. House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, R-Colorado Springs, and Assistant Minority Leader Ty Winter, R-Trinidad, said in a joint press release Wednesday that they want Griswold to resign. They cited the revelation about the passwords and previous incidents, including when Griswold's office mailed postcards to thousands of noncitizens encouraging them to register to vote, and notifying voters they hadn't voted when they had.
“While I have the utmost trust in the integrity of our county clerks, who actually oversee the counting of votes, I have no trust that Secretary Griswold is capable of leading our election system," Pugliese said. "Enough of her incompetence; it is time for her to resign. The people of Colorado deserve better.
” Pugliese led an unsuccessful attempt to impeach Griswold earlier this year after the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously reversed a Colorado court decision to remove former President Donald Trump from the state's primary ballot under a constitutional provision that bars certain federal officials from holding office if they have "engaged in insurrection.
" Griswold, the defendant in a lawsuit brought by several Republican and unaffiliated voters, expressed support for the state Supreme Court's decision after justices ruled Trump was ineligible. Williams, the state GOP chairman, and Boebert applauded the attempt to impeach Boebert , but the measure failed on a party-line vote after a lengthy hearing in a Democratic-controlled House committee..
