This article is a follow-on to the  Only We Can Audit Ourselves  published on 6/22/2021.

Colorado voters are engaged and watching SecState Griswold plus County Clerk and Recorders (CCRs) across the state when it comes to election records, and rule changes. In fact, this is not a recent development. Starting in late May 2021 citizen reports have been surfacing detailing the SecState and the CCRs blatant attempts at hiding and stonewalling voters access to information about Dominion voting machine modifications taking place now. Citizens are participating as their civic duty to better understand how Colorado elections are conducted and scrutinizing areas causing questions about security and transparency.

To illustrate the stonewalling, a concerned Fremont voter forwarded me their interaction with Fremont County Clerk and Recorder Justin Grantham. This constituent approached Grantham asking when the Dominion modification was scheduled for Fremont Co.  Instead of answering the question, Grantham asked why the citizen was enquiring.  The citizen politely asked that Grantham delay the modifications based on two facts.

The voter explained to Grantham that because of the law, they’d like a pause in the Dominion modifications until August based on the rationale that no modifications should be conducted before a forensic analyst could properly preserve all hardware and software files, logs data etc. Grantham refused, citing a string of excuses that are so ridiculous and some flat out inaccurate, it exposes Grantham to be either completely ill-informed, woefully incompetent, or as we’ll find out- on the wrong side of election integrity. 

Below is the Fremont voters  play-by-play  interaction with Grantham. It starts out with the Fremont voter providing Grantham a  source document  of Pro V&Vs lapsed credentials from the EAC (Election Assistance Commission). In response to the voter’s documentation Grantham attempts to withhold public information.

Grantham Excuse #1   “Not valid proof because Dominion isn’t specifically mentioned.” 

This comment shows Grantham clearly has zero idea about the CO Constitution when it comes to voting machine certification laws. Grantham asserts that in Pro V&Vs (the testing lab) certification documentation from the EAC that Dominion, a completely independent entity should somehow be specifically mentioned in Pro V&Vs  certificate ? Perhaps this makes sense in the clown world Grantham lives.

Grantham Excuse #2   “If I pause the update, I will be out of ADA compliance.”

Given the fact that the election is in November, it’s unclear how Grantham is out of ADA compliance.  The voter is asking for a pause until August. That gave Grantham over two months (at the time of the request) before the election to do the modification. According to Dominion modifications are  scheduled  for two days.

Grantham Excuse #3  “This is a SOS software change.”  

We know the modifications are coordinated with the SoS, but it’s Dominion doing the modification. This response turns out to be quite telling (more on that below).

Grantham Excuse #4  “Also, we don’t use Pro V&V Software.”  Later Grantham clarifies that Pro V&V performs testing on Dominion machines.

Clearly Grantham spoke to someone or did a quick internet search to straighten-out his initial lack of basic understanding and blatantly inaccurate claim.

Grantham Excuse #5  Grantham then delivers  The Gold Standard  of Excuses, ”They [ProV&V] are current now.” 

Pure hilarity. (every time I run across excuse #4 proofing this piece I crack up harder –imagining Grantham driving a little red car to work and walking across the parking lot to his office; tripping over his big, red, floppy shoes). Grantham tries to sell the voter on the fact that despite being out of legal compliance for the 2020 election, meaning  nobody knows  (not even the SoS or any CCRs) what the Dominion machines are actually capable of doing – or if they’re secure…  they’re good now.  They’re. Good. Now?! Honk. Honk.

Grantham Excuse #6  Grantham claims the lapsed legally mandated PV&V credentials the citizen provided are, “irrelevant.” 

With this type of reasoning what other rules and laws does Grantham think is irrelevant when it comes to elections?

Grantham Excuses #7   Cites  CRS 1-5-601.5.

Grantham Excuses #8  Cites The 10th Amendment.  Then, follows up with a challenge:  the voter needs to prove if there are other state laws that force him to delay the update. (Grantham, putting the ass in classy as he works for his constituents.)

Grantham Excuse #9  At this point, fat fingers, nerves, or exasperation takes hold. Grantham claims, “Facebook is not an appropriate avenue (sic) to for formal request.”

As Grantham attempts to straighten himself out by adjusting his bright red nose, and curly rainbow wig, to Grantham’s credit he does invite the voter in for a meeting to talk further.  Hopefully he won’t bring his whoopee cushion.

Given my marketing background, I can’t help but to brand his chorus of faulty excuses,  “The Grantham Anthem” , just imagine the background music is played on a kazoo.  The Fremont voter didn’t fall for Grantham’s song and dance.  The reward?  Grantham acquiesced and did tell the truth according to the schedule (above). [The Dominion update] “It’s either the 3rd or 4th week of July.”

In a final flail, Grantham decides to take to the press. In a  piece  that may have been drafted in crayon, but certainly borders on incomprehensible – he tries to defend his actions. What’s stunning is Grantham’s complete lack of understanding of the system, tech, and the law.  His hubris in challenging an engaged and informed voter who is earnestly and politely posing a legitimate request is quite something.  If Grantham is this lost, it’s clear he hasn’t even considered the implications to Fremont’s election system, the impact on voters, or his potential legal exposure of the Dominion update in terms of preserving election records.

It turns out, Colorado voters are persistent. In response to the public outcry over the wholesale stonewalling by the SOS and CCRs, State Rep. Ron Hanks and his coalition of election integrity minded legislators jumped in on behalf of their constituents. They officially requested the Dominion modification schedule from the SecState which had been  hidden from the public. Hanks and his coalition should be commended for  working for the people  – a seemingly novel idea in today’s political climate. The elected officials were successful in finding out when the updates were happening. 2021-colorado-upgrade-routes-date_county-1Download

What’s more interesting however, is the response letter from the SecState that accompanied the modification list. Griswold clearly asserts that anyone interested in election integrity and having a conversation with their local elected officials on the topic are somehow a threat to elected officials’s safety. Worse, Griswold claims that citizens who want to understand the election process in CO are involved in “conspiracy theories.” It seems appropriate to suggest Griswold read  The Pentagon Papers , or study the 1960 election between Nixon and Kennedy before she starts throwing around terms she doesn’t grasp. Hanks response letter Download

With Griswold’s carefully worded warning in the letter, it’s clear she feels entitled in her position. However, the signature of the letter tells a completely different story. Griswold includes signatures from two CCRs, Ortiz (D) of Pueblo County and  Justin Grantham (R) of Fremont County. This is clearly a shaky attempt to fortify her weak position with a “bi-partisan coalition” of her own. Given Grantham was one of her picks to shore-up her unethical and possibly illegal behavior, the question becomes; did Griswold take a team-building workshop at #CHAZ or under a Ringling Brothers tent?

Griswold has beclowned herself by claiming conspiracy theories are circulating in CO. In this forwarded email it clearly shows there is indeed a coordinated effort to work against CO voters who are simply seeking the truth. The giveaway that this message comes from the SoS office are the contact names at the bottom. It may be a coincidence, but Judd Chode and Hillary Rudy are the official  SoS elections contacts.

The case has been presented that the SecState and the Colorado County Clerks are in cahoots and are fighting against voters who want to find the truth. We also know that Griswold and the CCRs are fully panicked given citizens continue to push for answers. This leads us to the simple answer of why Griswold issuing unethical and potentially illegal  emergency rules changes  designed to stop citizens from activating third party election audits and a range of other investigative activities.

What can be done to stop this clown show?  There is a petition that can be signed and submitted to the SOS.  Find out more information on it and easy-to-follow instructions for how to sign, submit and share.