Colorado Republicans allowed to introduce impeachment resolution against Jena Griswold

• By Marianne Goodland, From: Colorado Politics

• April 5, 2024

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After nearly a two-month wait, House Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, allowed the introduction of a House Republican resolution that seeks the impeachment of Secretary of State Jena Griswold.

Sponsored by Rep. Ryan Amagost of Berthoud and House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese of Colorado Springs, HR 1006 focused on the Colorado Supreme Court's 4-3 decision to remove Trump from Colorado's presidential primary ballot.

It claimed that Griswold's statements constituted malfeasance in office, dereliction of duty, unfitness for office, and abuse of the public trust and she should be impeached.

The resolution, which was assigned to the House Judiciary Committee, with a schedule hearing next Tuesday, is expected to fail on a party-line vote.

In a statement Thursday, McCluskie criticized the resolution as a "waste" of time but added that a hearing would "set the record straight."   

“Hearing this resolution in the Judiciary committee will limit the time wasted on this topic, while respecting that it is a top priority for House Republicans to have it introduced and openly debated," the speaker said. "In an age when misinformation and conspiracy theories attack the integrity of our elections, we believe a public hearing to set the record straight on this issue is in the best interest of our democracy."

McCluskie also described the resolution as a political stunt, designed to "gin up MAGA support for House Republicans."

The resolution is sponsored by 17 of the chamber's 19 Republicans. Reps. Stephanie Luck of Penrose and Rod Bockenfeld of Watkins were not signatories, as they were excused for medical issues when the resolution was originally drafted last February.

The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously overturned that decision the day before Colorado's presidential primary, which Trump won with 63% of the vote to Nikki Haley's 33%. Trump will receive 24 of the state's 37 GOP delegates to the national convention. Haley, who has dropped out, would get 12 delegates. 

Griswold, the resolution stated, agreed with the Colorado Supreme Court's decision.

In a Dec. 28, 2023 press release, Griswold said Trump "engaged in insurrection and was disqualified under the Constitution from the Colorado Ballot. The Colorado Supreme Court got it right."

While the Secretary of State was a plaintiff on Trump's side in the appeal to the nation's highest court, Griswold said after the ruling she was disappointed by it: "Colorado should be able to bar oath-breaking insurrections from our ballot."

Among the six articles alleging malfeasance in the GOP resolution is the claim Griswold denied Coloradans "a free and open election" and the right to vote for their choice for president, the resolution said. 

Donald Trump will appear on Colorado's presidential primary ballot after the state Republican Party appealed the court's conclusion that the former president is ineligible to run for the country's highest office.

Following the instructions of the Colorado Supreme Court, Griswold placed Trump's name on the ballot. While the state court had ruled against Trump, the justices stayed their ruling and said his name should appear on the ballot if an appeal from one of the parties was sought. Both the Colorado Republican Party and Trump's campaign appealed, and Griswold said Trump's name would be appear on the ballot.      

House Republicans filed the resolution with McCluskie's office in early February.

A month ago, they sent a letter to the speaker, asking her to allow the resolution to move forward. An opinion from the Attorney General said it is the speaker's prerogative on whether to allow the resolution to be introduced.